Ebony Thunder
by The Hatter Theory
Summary: Updated-They all go to Kaeleer After the war,Janelle veils Terreile from Kaeleer and Hell. 2000 years later,the veil is falling,and her daughter is the one that must heal the rift between the two worlds,but how when Terreile has become our world?
1. Default Chapter

Nana:This one's all my fault

Blix:Duh,Dressi hardly ever comes up with a serious story

Dressi:What's up with you guys bashing me some much lately?

Blix:We're females,you're male,deal with it.

**Author's** **Note:** Guys, this story is gonna be weird, lemony, sad, happy, frightening, and hardcore. Why? Because my friends are the inspiration for the OC's, and I had one question that nagged me. What if Terreille had been separated from Kaeleer and Hell so that Terreille grew on it's own over the millennia, and Kaeleer was forgotten and Hell became a myth. What happens when the curtain that separates those realms begins to fall, and only the daughter of the High Lord Of Hell and Dreams Made Flesh can reunite the worlds and rid them of the taint?

For the sake of the story, the Keep is also veiled from Terreille.

Hehehe….God this is gonna be a long story.

Chapter One: A Tangled Web

"Daemon, something isn't right. The Veil is thinning. I can feel all that energy from the Old Land seeping through. It's not…Pleasant," Janelle told her husband. Daemon rubbed his wife's arms with his hands as he stood on the balcony.

"It's been two millennia sweetheart, did you think that the veil could last forever? Even with the combined energy of so many dark jeweled Blood we knew it wouldn't last," The High Lord of Hell responded. He felt the shudder passing through his wife's thin frame and cursed his father for joining the Darkness. Now he had no one that he could turn to for advice, and he was expected to govern Hell and all it's inhabitants…While still alive and raising a family.

His wife being the Queen of Kaeleer and Witch didn't help much since she was loved by most of Kaeleer and feared by the rest. Two thousand years ago Janelle had sent the remaining Blood that were tainted in their own ways to Terreille, along with many of the landens, and had then proceeded to curtain off that realm, exiling it from Kaeleer and Hell.

"Daemon, what do I do? If the curtain falls, the Old Land as it is now will know of Kaeleer and Hell, and find out that magic exists. So much time has passed. I know that things are vastly different over there. Humanity both craves and fears magic, and people have found ways around magic, though I don't know how or what they do. I do know there is so much hatred there. Kaeleer has its own hatred, but there, oh Daemon, the hate is so strong, and the fear. What will happen if the curtain falls and the Blood come to light? And the kindred? What will become of them?"

"We must send someone over there, some sort of emissary to prepare that world for our arrival. There are dark jeweled Blood here that could possibly help restore the curtain, but, can we continue to exile the lands that make up the New World? Have you sensed Blood in that world my love?" Daemon asked.

"Yes, but they don't know it. Daemon I cannot go through another war like the last. It's been so long and I'm feeling the years. And what of Ebonsere? She hates war and loss. She's so strong yet so fragile, like I was. The Weaver of Dreams told me she was meant for something important, I don't want her to die before she can fulfill that purpose," Janelle sniffled.

Daemon thought of his beautiful daughter. Her pale skin and mismatched eyes and long black hair. He thought of her protectiveness for her family, and sighed as he realized she would fight if there was a war. She wore a red jewel by birthright. Would she wear a black, as he and his father had done? She was twenty and would soon make her offering to darkness. Like her mother she was a black widow and a queen, but not a healer. Yet she was so like Daemon in her own way. She could go cold and scare the hell out of everyone except him and Lucivar, and when she went savage, she scared them all, for only warlord princes had been known to go savage. Yet once, when Surreal and Falonar's child had been hit with a cruel spell for being a half breed, Ebonsere had gone savage and almost killed the boy.

"Have you spun a web to see what will happen?" Daemon asked.

"Yes, but the web didn't make sense, it had to be wrong," Janelle said. Daemon looked at his wife in surprise. She had learned from the arachnians, and she was one of the best. How could she think the web was wrong?

"What did you see?"

"That which is most precious to us will heal the wounds from the war and become that which she was meant to be. She is her father's daughter, but also her mother's. She will be a Queen of the wealthy but will be family to the poor. She must go to the Old Land and form a court.

"Daemon, that can't be right. Ebonsere can't go to the Old Lands, she'll be killed if she doesn't kill them first," Janelle told her husband.

The High Lord Of Hell sat on the couch and let his head fall back. His daughter? Ebonsere, the girl trained by Lorn and Draca themselves? The daughter named by the Weaver Of Dreams? The daughter who was supposed to do something important, something great.

"Talk to the Weaver. She will know if this is the important thing Ebonsere must do," Daemon told his wife. Janelle looked at him as if he had slapped her, then left the room.

Janelle did not want her daughter to ever grow up, but Daemon knew that it would happen, must happen.

But why did it have to happen so quickly and so dangerously?

Sere was busy spinning a tangled web of her own. She kept have recurring visions of a group of people who wore ragged clothes and had power but no jewels. She followed the paths of the web and gasped, startled, when she reached the junction of two strands.

"Mother knows too. I know she does. Damn it, why now? I'm not ready for my offering to darkness. Mother Night, I have to go to the Keep," Sere growled as she thought of everything Lorn and Draca and the queen of the arachnians had taught her. No wonder. She rode the red wind hard and fast to the keep and walked through the doors. She noticed one of her mother's first circle was there, aunt Karla. Sere ignored her aunt and continued to walk towards the throne room, down into the dark deep spiral. The torches lit as she walked along, helping her down the steep stairs.

And then she was in front of Lorn.

The great dragon opened his eyes and his sibilant voice whispered through her head.

"What isss it?"

"You bastard, you and the other two knew that I would have to go to the other world, didn't you?" Ebonsere demanded, her mismatched eyes blazing fury.

"We knew. That'sss why we prepared you. You are dreamsss made flesh. The dessscendants of the exiled dream of finding a place they belong, of sssomeone who can be their friend. You were created to give them both."

"Why do I have to do it? I don't have to!" Sere raged.

"You will, becaussse they need you. The veil will fall, and if you have not created a court there, all will fail, and war will once again come to Kaeleer. Thossse you love will die," Lorn stated simply.

Sere fell into a sobbing heap and cried out her tears.

"Do mother and father know what I am?"

"They only know that you were named the Black Warrior. They don't know that you are dreams made flesh, like your mother. There are quiet dreamers and strong dreamers. You are of both. Little warrior, you must do this, for the sake of those you love," Lorn told the young woman.

Ebonsere only nodded and stood. She walked back up the stairs and towards the room she saw Karla in, knowing Draca would be helping the woman with finding different books.

"Draca, I take it Lorn told you what must be done," Sere whispered from the doorway. Karla looked up, startled.

"Yesss, little queen."

"We start at dawn," Ebonsere whispered, then left for her private suite at the keep.

Karla looked at Draca and sighed.

"She's making the offering?"

"Yesss, and she will not sssee anyone before or after," Draca said.

"What do you mean?" Karla asked. Draca shook her head. As the keeps seneschal left the room, Karla looked at the book she held thoughtfully. Then she got up and walked as fast as she could from the keep, her cane clicking on the floor as she tried to get to the ebon gray.

"She's doing what?" Daemon roared. Janelle was sitting on the couch, silent. Karla told them what little she knew. She could tell by the absent look that suddenly took over his face that someone had sent him a message, and it was from someone darker than gray because she didn't sense it.

"Daemonar is missing. Lucivar is coming this way with Marian. Do you think that he's at the keep as well?" Daemon asked.

"I don't know, I just don't know. If we get there before dawn we can stop this madness," Karla told him.

"We can't. It was in the web. Three will go. Falonar and Surreal will come to the keep," Janelle said. "Daemon, tell Lucivar to go to the keep instead," Janelle said. Karla saw Daemon send the message, desperation mixing in his eyes.

Daemonar was older yes,but both Ebonsere and Severnar were both twenty, and they were making the offering to darkness at the dawn. As he left the keep with his wife, he thought of what could happen. They would see no one before or after, at least his daughter wouldn't. What of the others? Daemonar had already made the Offering. What would he do tomorrow?

They rode the black to the Keep and Janelle's fury was suddenly unleashed. The doors to the keep shattered and she stormed through, Daemon and Karla following in her wake. It was past midnight, yet Draca was there, waiting for them. Severnar and Daemonar were with her.

"Where is my daughter?" Janelle whispered, her words laced with ice.

"She sleepsss," Draca said.

"Take me to her room," Janelle whispered.

"I cannot."

Daemon flinched at the coldness that filled the room. This was so much worse than hot rage. Janelle was being denied access to her daughter, and she did not like it if the ice beginning to coat the walls was any indication. Draca merely sighed and turned to the two men.

"Both of you, go to the workroom I told you of. I will be there shortly. I will explain all to your parentsss. Now go," Draca said as one of the men started to protest. Both men began to walk down the hall, then up the stairs.

Suddenly Lucivar, Marian, Surreal and Falonar walked in through the entrance to the keep, Surreal letting out a long whistle when she saw the shattered remains of the doors.

"Where is my son?" Lucivar demanded.

"Come with me," Draca said as she led them to the informal gathering room. Everyone sat down except for Janelle, who paced furiously. As Draca closed the door, Janelle stopped and looked the serpentine woman in the eyes.

"Why?"

"Becausssse your daughter is not just your daughter. She is the daughter of all the dreamers who wished for someone to be their friend, for someone to take them to a place where they could belong. She is dreams made flesh, but not any of Kaeleer's dreamers. The Old Land's dreamers made her, shaped her. Those that wanted a protector, a friend, someone like them."

"Are you saying that more than one Witch walks the realm?" Daemon asked, remembering the discussion he and Draca had had so long ago. A discussion about Witch.

"It hasss happened before. Witch is dreams made flesh, not just a black jeweled witch. Sometimes Witch is white jeweled, sometimes a centaur, other'sss a combination of all the dreamersss. It dependsss on those who made her. Your daughter will be the sssword and shield for the Blood in what was once Terreille. She will be queen of the wealthy,and friend to the poor and protector of the weak. She will become Terreille's heart just asss Janelle is Kaeleer's."

"And what of the landens? Will they accept the Blood?" Karla asked.

"They will fear the Blood'sss power. They already do, it isss how so many Blood have died. The landensss are many over there. Your daughter will heal the rift between the two worldsss, and legendsss will become reality. But there will be many deaths. The least to suffer will be the kindred in that land. Animalsss are regarded much the same asss kindred once were here. It is the children of the Blood that must be protected," Draca said, her voice weary.

"And you look to my daughter to do this? She will only wear the black," Janelle shouted.

"You have become haughty daughter, if you think that Sere cannot do this just because you think she is weaker than you. You wear Twilight's Dawn. One may only descend three ranks if they are normal Blood, but like you, Ebonsere is dreams made flesh. She is the dream of the oppressed and scared,of the lonely and confused. How do you know what jewel she will wear?" A new voice asked. Janelle paled and Daemon stood up and turned…

And almost fainted.

"Saetan?" Karla asked in a faint voice.

"Yes Karla. I made the transition to demon dead. I tired of being a Guardian. I did not tell you all because at the time, I thought you did not need me any longer. But I can see that, despite two thousand years passing, you are all still somewhat the same.

"Now, Janelle, Daemon, both of you sit down before you make a nosedive for the floor. Lucivar, stop holding your wife's hand so tight before you hurt her. Surreal, it's good to see you. At least one person in here doesn't look like they want to cry or kill me," Saetan said as he walked towards the chair. He sat down, setting his cane next to the chair.

"Draca, you go help the boys. It'll take some time to do those spells, so I'll explain everything to the children, all right?" Saetan told the seneschal. Draca nodded gracefully and left the room, shutting the door behind her. Then everyone looked at Saetan.

"I understand you are all upset, but as Draca said, it must be done. The boyos are for Sere's protection. The webs have been spun, and her fate decided. The dream was given to you because I asked, begged actually. Sere is important. If she doesn't fulfill her destiny, many will die, and the Blood will cease to exist."

"Why? Why must this happen?" Janelle sobbed.

"Because being Witch is hard. Being born to fulfill the dreams of other people makes it hard to fulfill dreams of you own. I only pray she doesn't have to go through what you did. I hope no one has to make the sacrifices we made so long ago," Saetan sighed.

"You said she may not wear the Black. Father, what will she wear?" Lucivar asked.

"Lorn knows, and she will know. I spoke to him before I came down here to speak to you all, and I persuaded him to let her see you after the ceremony. But I will only say this once; you will not show any fear or anger. The morning after her Offering, she and the boyos will leave for a place called America. We're sending her to the strongest dreamers. They will accept her. We're giving the boys webs that will hide their wings. After that,it is up to her to find the Blood and give their birthright ceremonies. She must follow the path after that."

"What path?" Daemon asked, fear causing bile to rise in his throat.

"The one she will choose, one path out of a thousand," Saetan replied.

Blix: Damn, this is really going to mess with my head isn't it?

Nana: Yes

Dressi: Let her sleep, she's had a long day, cleaning her room,writing this entire thing, finding out her crush wants to read it…

Blix:Oh both of you go to hell

Nana: Does that mean I can have Daemon

Blix: Argh! Goodnight everyone, please review!


	2. Chapter 2

**Blix**:I messed up

**Nana**:It was an honest mistake,you were tired

**Dressi**: Females can't write so ha!

**Nana**:Leave her alone you chauvinistic pig!

**Blix**:Please ignore the male muse,he can be a buttmunch

**Author's note**:Okay everyone,I was reading through the book and realized I made a mistake. It is not sunrise to sunset for the offering,but sunset to sunrise. I am so sorry if anyones mad.So for the purpose of the story, Ebonsere and Severnar are making their offerings as the adults speak(basically it was only Daemonar there when the adults arrived and Draca will help Severnar hide his wings after he makes the offering.. When I get a chance I'll edit the first chapter to accommodate that only. Im really sorry I screwed up and I hope none of this confuses anybody.

**Ephona, Tamphuoc, thank you so much for the reviews, it makes me really happy to know people like this story**.

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Chapter 2:A Flash Of Thunder

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The rising of the sun found several people pacing in a large room with comfy furniture. If anyone had thought past the worry or the anger, they would have realized it was the room set off of the chamber Janelle herself had used to make her Offering. Daemonar had come down from the workroom to wait for his cousins, and had almost been killed when his father thought his wings were gone. The stress had sent everyone into a numb sort of shock.

Saetan himself let his eyes drift close as he listened to Surreal and Lucivar talk.

"I wonder what jewel my son will wear," Surreal whispered.

"Probably the Grey,like his mother," Lucivar stated. Both had kept their statements somewhat sarcastic, and always somewhat curt. The tension was high and Saetan felt like he would slap everyone into reality if Ebonsere and Severnar didn't walk into the room soon.

As if answering his prayers, the door opened and both young adults walked in looking tired and worn as though they had been through several of Lucivar's advanced drills without being prepared.

"Sere," Daemon whispered, opening his arms to his daughter. Sere ran into them and he wrapped her in his embrace, letting all his love flow into her, praying she felt it.

"Daddy, I'm scared," Ebonsere whispered into his chest. Daemon nodded. He knew,more than she realized, he knew just how she felt.

"You can do it little one, I know you can,"he told her. He felt her shudder.

"You're wearing the gray!" Surreal shrieked as she embraced her son.

"Yes mother," Severnar sighed as he endured the hug his lithe mother gave him.

"What jewel do you wear little warrior?" Severnar asked.

Daemon felt his daughter stiffen, and then she backed away. He saw her jewel and held in the gasp, but he knew his eyes widened with awe.

An ebon jewel that flashed like with bolts of lightning within its dark depths. Each bolt of light the color of a different jewel.

"Lorn called it Ebon Thunder. It's similar to mother's, but, it's suited to me," Ebonsere told them all in a quiet voice. Draca came into the room and looked at Sere, then at Severnar.

"Come with me Sssevernar, I mussst give you the web. After that you can be with your family. Sssere, you can do what you like for now," Draca said, her sibilant voice getting the message through. Sere had the illusion of normalcy for now, but she couldn't leave the keep. Sere only nodded and sat in Saetan's lap as she had often done as a child. Saetan was six feet and a few inches while Sere herself was only five feet and eight inches, which left enough room for her to curl up and let herself wander while everyone asked inane question, trying to avoid the topic of her new jewel.

"Grandfather?"

"Yes little one?" Saetan replied to her tired, tiny voice.

"I need some food and a bath," Sere told him, her hunger apparent when her stomach made a loud noise that the entire room heard.

"I think some food can be arranged. I'm sure Draca remembered your mother's appetite when she made the Offering and took that into consideration when she knew you were making the Offering. Let's go to the kitchen, or do you want to eat in the formal dining hall?" Saetan asked.

'I don't want to be around them right now. They're scared of what I wear, even mother. She doesn't know what to make of it. She's not sure if she's still the strongest witch that lives anymore. I don't like it grandfather. Can it just be me and you and Severnar and Daemonar? They aren't scared, at least Severnar isn't. I honestly don't want to deal with the fear right now. It makes everything too awkward," Sere sent to him on a black thread of thought. Saetan nodded and stood with her in his arms. As demon dead, his leg was stable and with Lorn and Draca's help he was as strong as he was long ago in his youth.

"Everyone, I'm sorry, but I have a very tired, very hungry little girl I must go feed, so if you'll excuse us, we have to leave," Saetan said. Janelle looked ready to open her mouth, but Daemon put his hand on her arm and she closed her mouth. Her midnight eyes showed displeasure, but she said not a word.

Saetan left the room and carried Sere all the way up the stairs, using craft to lighten the load so he didn't throw his back out. He then walked down one corridor into the wing her rooms were in, and then he opened the door to her spacious suite.

"I'll go prepare a bath while you eat. Seems Draca has anticipated everything," Saetan said, nodding to the bedside table with a covered food dish on it as he laid her down on the bed. She immediately grabbed the domed cover off the dish and smiled when she saw plenty of fresh melon slices and a ripe peach.

Saetan smiled as she dug into a piece of steak as he went to prepare her a nice long bath.

As he did was making sure the water was the right temperature, he heard the door open and Draca and the two young men walk into the room, and an easy conversation going back and fourth. Plugging the drain he walked back into the main room and saw more food and three young adults on a bed all cuddled together, the two men on either side protecting their new queen.

"They fell asleep the minute their Queen did, didn't they? It's funny, but I don't think anyone suspected those two would serve in her court, despite both being warlord princes that have looked out for her as long as I can remember. Draca, their families are all rather angry. Can they be placated before the three children leave?" Saetan asked as he watched his family members sleep in heavy slumber.

"It isss possssible, but not likely. Janelle will not accept that she has an equal, even if it isss her own daughter. Sssere must accept the burden, for now she hasss only ressigned herself to it. She mussst _embrace_ it," Draca said.

"If she is anything like her mother, she will fight it because of the possible repercussions. Do you know what kind of world you are sending her to?" Saetan let his worry color his tone. Draca let out a sigh and suddenly, Saetan felt as if Draca were weary.

"A world filled with dreams and despairs. She will survive if she embraces thossse that wished for her," The ancient woman seneschal replied. Saetan only nodded and vanished the empty trays downstairs.

"The preparations have been made?"

"Yesss," Draca replied.

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Sere walked along the strands of the web, noticed how jewels were placed sporadically everywhere, yet ho in the center there were several. In the very center of the web lay a chip of her jewel, Ebon Thunder, and it was surrounded by several other jewels, all in a range of colors. Each jewel on the web was connected to her in some way, though not always the ones surrounding her.

She followed the strands to one jewel, an Ebon-gray jewel, and felt the energy that she knew belonged to her cousin Daemonar. She followed another path and encountered Severnar's gray. Sere let her mind touch all of the jewels, getting the feel of them, sometime surprised when the jewels had only a feeling of longing in them. These jewels she somehow knew belonged to no one, but they should, they called out for the one they should be bonded to.

Suddenly the web broke beneath her and she fell into the depths below her, seeing different faces fly past, none of which she knew. Voices assailed her mind and she screamed, fearing she was falling into the Twisted Kingdom.

And then the falling stopped, and she was on solid ground again. She saw someone in the dark,a small figure, as if it were far away.

"Hello? Can you hear me?" She called out.

And then the small figure was suddenly overtaken by an angry mob and the energy was gone, not a whisper left. Sere knew the figure, whether existing only in her dream or in real life, had been killed.

Then the mob started towards her, chasing her as she ran, getting closer and closer. Sere tried desperately to try and call on the powers of her jewels, but for some reason, it wasn't answering, as if it was being picky.

**"Sere,** wake up, wake up!" Daemonar's voice woke her and Sere opened her eyes with a grateful sigh. The nightmare had nearly sent her into madness.

"You okay brat?" Daemonar asked, reverting to his nickname for her.

"I'm fine, just a bit of a nightmare. What time is it?" She asked her cousins. Severnar turned slightly and groaned.

"It's only noon," He groaned as he flipped back on his side and threw an arm over Sere's side.

They had all shared this easy comfort and contact since Severnar and Sere had been children and Sere cuddled deeper under the covers and into her cousins' embraces.

"You think our parents are still out there?" Daemonar asked. Sere groaned and buried her head under the covers and then growled when she felt Severnar leave the bed, taking the warmth with him.

"If I know them at all, they will be. Damn, I'd almost rather us go without saying goodbye," Severnar growled.

Sere got up from the bed and went into the bathroom for a shower, only to notice the bathtub filled with water and bubbles. She knew Saetan would have put a warming spell on it too. A witch's bath never got cold.

"Guys, go take showers or whatever. I'm going to take full advantage of that nice bath grandpapa prepared for me," Sere told them from the bathroom.

"You have half an hour. Then I'll drag you out if you're not at the table with us," Severnar growled as he and Daemonar exited the room.

Sere sighed as she shed her clothing and sunk into the bath. Thirty minutes before she had to face the firing squad. If only she could avoid it all.

* * *

Twenty eight minutes later she walked into the formal breakfast room and saw her family eating breakfast. She also noticed that when people saw her the tension in the room went up several notches.

Quickly she grabbed a plate and filled it at the sidebar, grabbing several pieces of watermelon and a pickleberry and a piece of meat and some salad. She also noticed her two cousins sitting far away from their family, and rage filled her at the thought of the two men in her court staying away form their family because their family couldn't understand the fate destiny had in store for them.

She walked past everyone in her family and sat across fro the two men, totally ignoring the rest of the table as she ate and chatted amiably with them. Saetan strolled in and sat next to her, asking her easy going questions about her life on topics such as boys and theatre and music.

Suddenly the room exploded in dark fury and everyone looked stunned at Janelle.

"You may wear a darker jewel than I daughter, but you will not ignore your family," Witch bit out, reverting to her true form. The spiral horn glinted in the light streaming in through the windows.

"I don't know if I'm more powerful than you mother, but this so called family hasn't treated me anything like before since last night. And they haven't treated Daemonar and Severnar the same either, and those two men are under my protection, and I'll be damned if I make them feel like shit because they wish to serve me!" Ebonsere shouted, her rage filling the room, causing the wallpaper to split and tear.

"Do you think we hate you now, is that it?" Daemon asked quietly.

"You fear me, and that can lead to hate," Sere said quietly.

"I don't fear you, I fear what you can do, and I fear for you, but I could never fear you, Her father said as he stood up and went to her. Sere let him wrap his arms around her, and suddenly Janelle came to her daughter as well.

"We don't hate any of you, it's just, a hard change to cope with. And all of you are leaving for that place. I'm scared something could happen and you could get hurt," Janelle told her daughter.

Surreal came and embraced her son, and Marian embraced Daemonar.

"I realize that this is a huge change to cope with, but it's something we all have to deal with. Two Witches now walk the realm and while one is Kaeleer's heart, the other will be the Old Land's. Witch child, you have already destroyed the taint of the Blood, now it's tie for your daughter to heal the scars left," Saetan told Janelle. Janelle only nodded and sniffled.

Ebonsere sat back down and everyone moved closer together, engaging in easy banter, but everyone still felt tension underneath.

But it was the tension of possible loss that made the air smell thick with fear and sorrow this time.

Because everyone realized that everything indeed, has a price.

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**Blix:**Well, I think it was a good transition chapter  
**Dressi**:There wasn't any action

**Nana**:It was supposed to give a look at how the relationships are changing fool

**Blix**:Thanks guys. I hope everyone likes it,please read and review.


	3. Chapter 3

Blix: I'm so tired

Nana: So am I

Dressi: We haven't slept all night

Blix: And I've written two chappys for diff stories. Damn, I need sleep

Nana: But you have to meet up with your girlfriend

Blix: Argh, I know!

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Authors Note: A chapter introducing some of the people. Im tired, I might take it down later. I dunno. Review and give opinions.

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Chapter three: Legends And Fact

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Sere looked around the Gate and sighed. She was going into a world she knew almost nothing about. Draca said she was going to a place called California, and that she would be able to pay for a small apartment for herself and her cousins. She would be in a city called Sacramento, where the governor was a man named Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Draca had explained all she knew of how the world had developed after the war. There was no belief in the Blood, no history of the Blood. No one knew anything of the jewels or of the ancient legends. Basically, the people were worse off than landens had ever been, except they had developed things such as electricity, which powered different appliances. Sere herself knew she'd have little fun or time to explore this phenomenon.

She did know that she should wander in a place that went back to Sacramento's history, which meant she would have to search for a historical part of the city.

Sere watched Draca, reassured by the presence of her two male cousins behind her. They had bonded themselves to her earlier. Both were of her first circle, and Daemonar, being much older, was her Steward, while Severnar was the Master of the Guard.

The candles were lit in the specific order. Draca was uttering the spell. Everything began to shift around them, not spinning really, more like cracking. Shattering into millions of jewel colored pieces. She saw faces blurring into one, and suddenly she was in a very warm, dirty place. Sere took in her surroundings.

She was under a bridge. Everywhere she looked there were sleeping bags and tarps and clothes. A few bottles of beer littered the ground, as well as cigarette butts.

"I guess we're here," Severnar said as he walked out from under the bridge. There was a path leading up a grassy hill and onto the bridge. The three Blood walked up the hill and onto the bridge. They walked across into Sacramento and Ebonsere was surprised to see Old Sacramento on a huge sign.

"Well, maybe this is where I'm supposed look for everyone, you think boyos?" She asked. She knew by their energy that they agreed.

They walked through the small city and noticed several people their age asking for spare change. She felt energy pouring off of them, but she didn't know how to approach them. Suddenly one called out to her.

"Hey, you a squatter?" A guy yelled out.

"What the hell is a squatter?" Severnar yelled back. He was immediately defensive of his queen, coming around to protect her.

"Homeless dumbass," The guy yelled back.

"Dumbass? That's a new one. Care to get a better vocabulary?" Severnar growled. The uy and his friends began to walk towards the three jeweled blood. Sere felt Severnar rising to killing edge simply because he was in a new place and he felt his queen was threatened.

"Better vocabulary? Give me a pointer then," The guy said.

"Tweak leave them alone. I've never seen them here before," Another guy said. His hair was bushy and unkempt. He wore a black trench coat. Sere couldn't see the other man's hair, but he wore glasses and had an angry expression.

"Sever, it's not worth it. We are new here, and I don't know all the laws, but I'm sure murder isn't legal here," Sere said. Daemonar himself had moved to protect his cousin.

"Oh bloody hell, you two never learn do you?" Sere yelled. "We're not here to cause trouble dammit!" She yelled.

It didn't affect her cousins at all.

She decided to use the Ebon Thunder to control them since they weren't open to listening. Very quickly she sent an image to them on a spear thread that showed what would happen if they didn't pay any attention to what she said. Both relaxed their stances immediately. A warlord prince's anger was an asset in Kaeleer, but here it was not at this moment.

"Where are you guys from?" A blonde man of about nineteen asked. Ebonsere looked at him.

"We're from the East, Europe. I'm Sere, this is Sever and Daemon. We just arrived with nothing really except what's in our packs," She told him.

"I'm Bob, that's Stormy," He said pointing to a bushy haired girl. She waved cheerily.

"I'm Faygo," The bushy haired man said. "That's Liz, and her boyfriend Matt," He said pointing to a tanned girl with dark hair and the male with his arm around her. "And that's Pyro and the grumpy dude is Tweak, and the guy with all the metal in his face is Sam," Faygo finished. Sere smiled.

"I'm trying to find an apartment complex. Could you guys help us out? I have no clue where to start," Sere told him.

"Sure. If we can't find anything, you're welcome to camp under the bridge with us," Faygo told them. Sere nodded and smiled happily.

"Thank you so much," She replied with true sincerity. She had found dreamers, strong dreamers. Even the angry man was a strong dreamer. She couldn't imagine what he dreamed for, but he was of the Blood. All of them were. She could feel Blood singing to Blood.

That's why they were being kind. They were all drawn to a dream they had helped create.

* * *

Tweak watched the girl with a mix of fascination and fear. His dreams had always seemed too real. And he had dreamed of this odd, beautiful girl before. She had worn a crown of silver with a jewel that flashed lightning in it and a black gown that had made her look like a Queen of the Night. She had called to him, calling him the Blood and saying it was his birthright to do what he did. Now he could move things with his mind if he thought about it really hard, and he could sometimes think hard and people would hear the thoughts.

Her gold eye and blue eye flashed with humor as she listened to the history of the circle kids. Faygo was telling funny anecdotes about all of them. Sere nodded and giggled at the appropriate times.

Suddenly, the light rail stopped and Faygo stood up.

* * *

"This is our stop," He told her. Sere looked around the middle class area and smiled as she stood up and got off. Tweak watched the two men follow her, as if they were body guards. She had said they were cousins. Hmph,more like brothers.

Faygo led Sere to an apartment complex and she walked into the office. Everyone watched her from the outside and saw the owner smile. Money exchanged hands and Sere walked out with a set of keys.

"Well, that was easy," She said. Everyone stared at her in amazement.

"Well, the paperwork is for tomorrow. She gave me the four bedroom suite apartment. It's late. You guys want to go get a celebratory dinner? My treat," Sere offered. Tweak let out a snort.

If she was trying to buy them all she didn't need to do it. They were drawn to her like a smoker to a cancer stick.

"Okay, where you want to go?" Liz asked.

"Well, I don't know the restaurants here yet," Sere said. Liz laughed.

"How about Carl's Junior?" She suggested. Sere nodded and smiled the okay. Everyone piled back onto the light rail. Since it would be a long ride everyone began to pelt the three newcomers with questions.

"What does your name mean?" Liz asked.

"My full name is Ebonsere, and in the old tongue it means Black Warrior. It pertains to being a warrior of the highest rank," She replied.

"What about Daemon and Sever?" Liz asked.

"Daemon's full name is Daemonar, which is Daemon, another spelling for Demon and the 'ar' ending is customary for his heritage. Same with Severnar. Sever means Vengeance and it's the same with the ending. All males from that heritage had the suffix. Females had the 'ian' suffix."

"That's so cool! I wish my parents were cool like that. What part of Europe are you from?" Bob asked.

"Ireland," Severnar replied. Bob nodded.

"Where'd you get that necklace, it's so pretty," Stormy said suddenly. Tweak then noticed the spider web necklace around Sere's throat. It was so fine a silver that he had barely noticed it on her pale skin.

Sere pulled the chain out and everyone gasped at the beautiful stone set in the middle of the web that tapered as a v on her neck.

"Wow, that's beautiful," Stormy breathed.

"It's nothing, just a family heirloom," Sere told them as she put it back in her shirt.

* * *

Tweak hadn't gotten a chance to see it, but he knew what it was without looking.

"We're here guys," Tweak told them in an angry voice.

Everyone got off of the light rail and avoided the light drizzle by running fast into the restaurant. Sere smiled and told them to order whatever they wanted. Everyone ordered and Sere paid the astronomical bill. They got a number and went and sat down at three booths. Severnar ended up sitting next to Stormy and across from Bob and Sam. Daemonar sat next to Sere and they sat across from Faygo and Tweak. Liz and Matt sat in a booth with Pyro across from them.

Everyone chatted amiably except for Tweak. He sat in a sullen silence that made Sere edgy.

"Tweak here is quite the artist. He can draw anything. He's got this awesome portfolio under the bridge. You should see it sometime," Faygo told her.

"No," Tweak said suddenly. There were pictures in there he hadn't shown anyone, including pictures of her!

"Okay. Well, what are you in Sac for anyways?" Faygo asked Sere and Daemonar.

"I'm just looking to make some friends, have a good time. Meet people like me," She told him.

"Like you, what do you mean?" Faygo asked.

"Just people who are laid back, who feel drawn to the Earth and to legends. I've read some crazy stuff," Sere told him.

"Like what? I love legends," Faygo told her.

"Well, I read this legend that once there was a race called the Blood. They were magical peoples. Some were human, others were long lived humans, some were Eyriens, who are a proud race that looked like men, except they had the wings of bats. Then there were the Kindred, who were the animal Blood. And Lorn, the Dragon that held all of the Blood's knowledge.

"The blood had a ranking system of power built on Jewels and what you were born to be. The darker the jewel the more powerful you were, and there were certain things women were that men could never be. The highest rank a man is in society is a warlord prince, and he is a long step below the highest female rank, a Queen. A warlord prince seeks to find a Queen and to protect her. It was a very detailed legend with so many myths, like Witch, who was dreams made flesh," Sere started, Tweak interrupted.

"What do you mean dreams made flesh?" He demanded.

"Well, there was a taint in the Blood and it was about making males subservient, not just serve. That bred fear and hatred and greed for power, which spread through many of the Blood. Many people dreamed of someone who would destroy the taint and call in the debts, and supposedly, a woman was born who did it. She did something that destroyed all the bad. But that's just the most famous Witch. There were others. Witch was always dreams made flesh. Sometimes the dream was not quite so urgent, others it was. Legend goes that the arachnians would weave a web that made dreams into reality, like with Witch, supposedly they put all the dreams together and gave it a spark of life. Since she had so many different dreamers, she had a unicorn horn, hooves for feet, pointed ears, and unsheathed claws at her fingertips," Sere finished.

"Wow. If you have a book or something about all of that I'd like to read it," Faygo said.

Tweak himself was deep in thought.

Dreams made flesh. The Blood. Sere spoke of all these things with an easy manner that spoke of intimate knowledge. Was she of his dreams, of his poor mother's who had been killed because she had been able to move things without touching them. Like him. She had often spoke of someone who would bring them friendship and a way to control their abilities.

That person had to be Sere.

Sere, is there any way I can talk to you in private later?" Tweak asked. Sere looked at him, startled. Tweak realized he had interrupted something and shrugged.

"Sure. I invited everyone to stay at my place tonight since its raining and the river might flood its banks since it started coming down so hard. You want to talk when we get there?"

"That's cool," Tweak replied.

* * *

To Sere the rest of the evening passed in a haze of everyone chatting except her and Tweak. They all ran through the rain to the light rail and caught it back to her apartment.

When they arrived, she pulled her key out and unlocked the door. Daemonar whistled as they checked out the living room.

The apartment was fully furnished with some of the nicest, most comfortable looking furniture Sere had seen in a long time. Everyone walked in and dropped their packs and took their soggy shoes off. Sere walked into the bathroom and came out with the eight towels she could find, plus four more she had summoned with her jewels. She had more than she had let on, but it was all stored so she could summon it with magic.

"Here you guys go. These will help a little bit," She laughed. Everyone said thank yous as the males in the room pulled off soggy shirts. Sere looked at the girls and took her pack to her room and returned with two pairs of pajamas.

"You guys can change in the bathroom. I'll throw the clothes in the dryer," She said. The girls took the pajamas and quickly wet to the bathroom. Sere guessed they changed together often since they were both in there at once.

"Daemon, Sever, you guys think you can rustle up some clothing for the guys? I'm sure they would appreciate it," Sere asked. Daemon and Sever both grabbed their packs and went to their rooms. Daemonar was slightly more built than the lean Severnar, and both came out bearing clothes that would fit the boys. Sere watched them file one to each of the two males' bedrooms.

She herself went to her bedroom and summoned her favorite pair of grey and black flannel pajamas. She quickly changed into them and saw that everyone was finished changing. She motioned to Tweak and he stood and followed her to the bedroom she occupied.

"What did you need to talk about?" She asked him quietly. Something about his posture indicated that she was about to be surprised by the moody artist.

"Earlier, when you spoke of the Blood and Dreams made flesh, something clicked in my head," He began. Sere sat down o her bed and he sat in the chair at the vanity about ten feet away from her.

"And I put a few things together in my head. Sometimes there are strong dreamers and soft dreamers. Was my mother one of the dreamers that made you?" He asked quietly.

Sere didn't know how to reply. She hadn't shown any powers at all or anything. She had mentioned the Blood as a legend to plant the seed in their brains. Legend was always based in fact. Half of Kaeleer was legend, but that hadn't kept Jaenelle from meeting some very interesting individuals.

"I don't know," She finally whispered.

"I dreamt of you. You told me it was my birthright and that I belonged with the Blood. I remember you mentioning a birthright ceremony."

"Yes. All of the people in the living room are Blood. I was brought here because I am dreams made flesh, just as my mother. She is Kaeleer's heart. Two thousand years ago, before I was born, she destroyed the taint and threw a veil around Terreille to keep it away from Kaeleer. I was the dream of those who are the Blood descendants of the exiled. The ones who aren't tainted. I was brought here to defend, to protect, to be friends. My mother is Kaeleer's heart. I am to be Terreille's if I succeed," Ebonsere sighed. A sniffle escaped her.

"What's wrong?" Tweak asked, coming towards her.

"It's just, I didn't know about any of this until a couple of days ago, and suddenly I have to leave home and come here. I don't know anything about electricity or light rails or buses. I know the Winds, I know Craft. I don't know how I'm supposed to find the right people for my court. I am drawn to all of you here tonight. I know you belong in my court; I feel it in my core."

"Then let us claim what is our right. All of us know about our little talents. I think its time everyone knew that we're really something, that we're not freaks," Tweak told her.

"Can we just save it for tomorrow Tweak, please?" She asked in a small voice. Her emotions had gone through a roller coaster in the past ten minutes. She didn't need any more.

"Okay," He told her. Sere nodded and crawled under the covers. Tweak turned out the lights and left the room, finally feeling somewhat at peace.

* * *

Blix:I have to go now

Dressi: She gets a break for a day or so

Nana: We all need it

Blix: Please reveiw


	4. Chapter 4

**Blix**:Wow, another chappy

**Nana**:Yes,amazing isn't it

**Dressi**: Kind of rushed

**Blix**:I'm doing it for the sake of not drawing it out. This is seriously how the people would react in real life. No joke, I asked them all if it made any sense.

**Nana**:Yeah. Pyro's gone somewhat mad lately though. He wanted you to make him a king

**Blix**:Screw that, I'm not creating something like that to make someone happy

**Nana**:Good girl

* * *

**Ebon Thunder**

**Chapter Four**-Seperation

* * *

Tweak groaned the next morning as he tried to escape the harsh sunlight coming in through the patio doors. He smelled fresh coffee brewing and bacon already cooked. He threw the cover from over his head and walked into the kitchen, his bare feet making little noise on the linoleum floor.

"Hey Tweak," Faygo said from his seat at the small table in the corner. He was sipping coffee and munching on a piece of bacon.

"Morning. Any chance I might get some coffee?" Tweak asked Daemonar.

Daemonar eyed the man and shrugged.

"Mugs are in the cabinet above the sink, creamer's in the fridge," He replied. Tweak wondered why he seemed so cold and impersonal all of a sudden.

Liz and Matt walked into the kitchen, along with Severnar, Stormy, Sam and Bob.

"Pyro won't wake up yet," Stormy grumbled as she sat at the table.

Some stood with their backs leaning against the counter as they sipped coffee, others sat at the small table eating eggs and bacon.

They all stared as Sere walked in, her hair in wild disarray, and her mismatched eyes groggy.

"Good morning little cousin," Daemonar sang as he handed Sere a huge mug of coffee. She gave him a grumpy kiss on the cheek and sat at the table sipping the coffee.

Daemonar began to prepare some more eggs and bacon, and everyone chatted amiably.

The Daemonar filled a plate to the brim with eggs and bacon, and handed it to Sere.

She ate with a quickness that surprised everyone but Daemonar and Severnar, and when she was done, she put the plate in the sink and hugged Daemonar.

"Thanks cos," She told him. She sat back down and sipped her coffee, then she noticed everyone staring at her.

"What?" She asked.

"How do you eat so much and still manage to stay so thin?" Liz asked.

"Err, I exercise a lot," Sere said. She wasn't sure how to tell them that Craft fed off the energy food gave her, and if there wasn't enough energy, it began to feed off her body.

"Sere, what we talked about last night, let it wait awhile," Tweak told her suddenly. Sere looked at Tweak with eyes that asked questions and Tweak made a gesture to say he'd answer those questions later.

Daemonar looked at Sere in askance and she sent a message on an ebon gray thread that Tweak knew who and what she was. Daemonar nodded and smiled slightly.

"Hey, you guys want to go part?" Liz asked.

"It's rather early for that isn't it?" Severnar asked.

"Well, we can go jack some alcohol from the store and drink under the bridge, and then we can run like mad through Sac," Liz told them.

"As exciting as that sounds, count me out today. I need to do paperwork for this apartment," Sere told them as she stood up and stretched.

"I'll go," Severnar volunteered. Liz smiled and held a thumbs up sign. Everyone made plans amongst themselves. Daemonar was going to go explore Sacramento with Sam and Bob and Stormy. Everyone else was going to go get drunk. Everyone except for Tweak and Sere, who were going to stay at the apartments and fill out paperwork, then cook dinner for everyone when they got back.

As the group separated on their different missions, Sere poured another cup of coffee for herself and Tweak.

"Why do you want me to wait before I tell them?" Sere asked quietly. Tweak mixed some creamer into the coffee and stirred it well.

"They might not believe you right now. Give it some time for them to see underneath the skin," Tweak told Sere. Sere look startled for a moment, then she sat down at the table with Tweak.

"Once,long ago, Draca, told me that we are all dragons beneath the skin," Sere told Tweak. Tweak looked like he was going over the thought in his head, trying to figure the riddle out.

"Why?" He asked her after a few minutes.

"Dragons were once the only beings that had magic, and after a time, they knew that their era was coming to an end, they gave magic to different beings. Draca was the Queen, and she sacrificed her true form, a dragon, to give magic to the Blood. That's also the theory of why there can't be a male equal to a Queen. The Blood's laws are intricate and wonderful in their own ways. Then again, I've never known anything else. Your laws are strange to me, but I bet that the Blood's laws are going to be equally strange to you," Sere told him. She quickly lit a lack cigarette and inhaled. Her father smoked the same cigarettes, and once, when she had been incredibly drunk on her mother's drink, the Gravedigger, she had smoked half a pack with her father as they discussed the drawbacks to being a Sadiablo.

"I don't know. I bet it couldn't be much different there than here," Tweak told her.

"I know some of your laws. In the Blood, those who rape can be castrated or killed, and no one will dispute that. There is no law against murder in the Blood, but a Queen can demand a price for the life lost," Sere told him. Tweak took in that small piece of information. He realized that the laws would be a lot different, but from the sounds of the first one, much more to his liking.

"It sounds like rape is the biggest crime you can commit," Tweak told Sere. She nodded and sighed.

"You see, in the Blood, men don't have much danger to their inner webs, which is for lack of better words, the Self. However, a witch' entire future in Craft hangs on a hymeneal thread. If her virginity is taken roughly, she can be broken, and that means she will never know what she could have become, what powers could have been hers. If she goes through her virgin night successfully, she never needs to worry about being destroyed that way. But rape can destroy the inner web, and send a witch straight into the Twisted Kingdom, which is each of the Blood's own personal madness."

"Sounds serious. I can see why it's so serious now," Tweak told her. Sere felt a tear slide down her cheek, unbidden.

"Whats wrong?" Tweak asked, aware of the despair in her eyes.

"Both my mother and father were in the Twisted Kingdom for a time. My mother was torn open when she was young, and she was lost to everyone for so long. My father was pushed into the Twisted Kingdom because he was so confused about what happened at Cassandra's alter. It's a confusing story, but he was made to think he was the one that had raped my mother. He wasn't. In the end they both emerged, sane. Me, I've made the Offering and I still haven't gone through my virgin night. I think that maybe I shouldn't risk it simply because I can't afford to have the wrong thing happen. What was Terreille can't afford for me to lose my powers. You can't afford for me to lose my powers," Sere said.

Tweak looked at her like she was insane.

"You'll deny yourself just for our sakes?" He asked her, surprised.

"I don't know what it's like anyways, so it's not really a big deal to me I guess," She told him. "Anyways, the office opens in another hour, so I need to go take a shower and get dressed in some normal clothes. I don't think the landlady would appreciate my pajamas," Sere told Tweak. Tweak nodded.

"Is it cool if I grab a shower?" He asked. Sere nodded and Tweak went to the hall bathroom to take a quick shower.

He thought about Sere relinquishing any possibility of an intimate relationship just so she could save others. Did she ever dream of having a family? Would she be able to find a man who would accept not being able to make love to her? She was dreams made flesh. Everyone else's dreams were what made her real. But, did that mean she would never be able to fufill her own dreams?

Tweak felt the hot water sluice over his body and he thought about what she had told him. It sounded like if a man was rough, he could destroy her, but if a man was gentle and tender, she would make it through with her inner web intact.

So that meant all she had to do was find a man that would be gentle. Tweak almost let out a sarcastic laugh.

Almost no chance of that here in this world. Most guys were too intent on their own pleasure to care if they hurt the girl, and girls ended up on the losing end of the deal. Then again, most women he knew were viscous bitches who would rather destroy people's lives than try to help their own.

He turned the water off and walked out of the shower. After drying off and dressing quickly, he pulled his long hair into a pony tail and put his towel in the hamper.

He walked out of the bathroom and saw no sign of Sere left in the apartment. He looked around and found a note.

**'Went to fill out paperwork, be back soon. Afterwards we can go buy some food for tonights dinner.**

**-Sere'**

Tweak smiled and went into the living room and leaned back on the sofa. He let his mind drift over the huge realization he had come to yesterday.

His mother had spoken of a dream that would save them all. She had told him to hide whatever abilities he had so the center wouldn't take him away like they had taken her.

Tweak never had figured out who the center was run by, whether it was some fanatical scientist or the government. But one night they had come to his home and all had been engulfed in flames. His mind wandered into the past.

"Just take me, the boy has nothing special about him!" Janice had screamed with desperation.

"We're sorry Janice, but your son needs to have tests done on him. He's got your DNA, so most likely he's a freak just like you," A strange man had said. He had profuse burn marks all over one side of his face.

Men had seized him and his mother, and the man came over and looked him over. He had been only ten then, still unsure of his powers.

"Don't do anything stupid boy, or your mother will be the one to pay," The man had told him, his tone bright and cheerful despite his words.

"You can't have him!" His mother had screamed, and his world had gone black as some sort of power was released from his mother that transformed into hellish flames.

He was the only one that had survived that he knew of. A hospital had taken him into observation and he was fine, not even a hair singed. He had been found right in the middle of the rubble that had been his home. No one could find anything to positively identify any humans. Most just thought the odd woman next door had burned up in a gas fire and her son had come and sat in the ashes before any of them knew what was going on.

He always wondered how they had come to this conclusion, but in later years had written it off as their need for a rational explanation for everything.

The memory was abruptly shattered when the door opened, and Tweak let his eyes fly open. Sere closed the door and looked round.

"I'm on the couch," He told her. She walked over and looked down at him.

"Know of any stores where I can find some ready made food? I have no clue how to cook, it's one of those skills we witches just can't seem to grasp," Sere told him. Tweak chuckled.

"It's good to know there's something you can't do," Tweak told her. "I can cook wonderfully though. I picked it up in the work program."

"Work program?" She asked quizzically.

"I got into a shelter after my mother died. I had escaped from this messed up group home. The shelter made me take a work program so I could have a job skill, and I chose culinary arts," Tweak told her.

"So, I guess you have a store nearby where we can get some food, right?" Sere asked. Tweak nodded.

"We can go to a Safeway, I have a card that'll help us save some money. Anything you interested in having?" Tweak asked.

"What do you want to cook?" Sere asked him.

"Let me think. I can make fettichini alfredo," He told her. Sere looked at him with an odd expression.

"Let me just buy the ingredients. It'll take awhile to fix from scratch, but it'll be worth it. You can help," He told her. Sere nodded happily and they left a note for the others, should they get back before Sere and Tweak did.

* * *

**Blix**:I tried.

**Nana**:The reviews will tell you

**Dressi**:Long live the hatchet!

**Blix**: Oh god,Im never staying up that long again,I'm still not sure I didn't hallucinate and see the Wraith.

**Nana**:Bed,now!


	5. Chapter 5

Blix:Blah,my comp was all twacked out and it wasn't working,but it's up again(for now) so heres the next installment of my story.

Nana:Wow,fast

Dressi:She stayed up two days working on story stuff

* * *

Ebon Thunder

Chapter Five-A Witch In The Kitchen

* * *

Sere stirred the simmering sauce while Tweak prepared the noodles.

"You make it sound like most witches can't cook," Tweak laughed as he voiced his opinion.

"Most can't. A lot of us are too busy to. Males learned to cook out of self preservation. At least that's what Lucivar told me. He also told me cooking isn't that hard. Hmph, the kindred were so busy running from the kitchens they didn't notice they trampled half of the herb garden," Sere told him. Tweak laughed and buttered some bread.

"Seems like witches can do a lot in Kaeleer, but there's just some things you all will never learn," He joked.

"Don't revel too deeply in it," Sere growled. Tweak continued to chuckle and put the bread in the oven.

"How much trouble do you think they got into?" Sere asked Tweak as she looked at the clock. It was already eight in the evening.

"None. If anything they got so drunk they passed out under the bridge," Tweak told her. Sere sighed. Knowing Severnar, he would do that.

"More for us," Sere told him. Suddenly she felt someone touching her mind. She recognized Daemonar's feel.

'We're all fine cousin. We decided to go to this party, interested?' Daemonar asked on an ebon gray spear thread.

"Want to go to a party?" Sere asked. Tweak looked at her oddly.

"Not especially," He answered cautiously.

'No cousin. I'm not up for it, neither is Tweak,' Sere replied. She felt Daemonar's growing interest.

'Plan on filling that consort position anytime soon?' He asked. Sere growled and mentally hit him. She heard Daemonar's whine and shut him out of her mind. Tweak looked confused.

"Umm, is it me, or did I heard Daemonar asking about consort a second ago? And what was he talking about anyway?" Tweak asked.

"Well, we all know you're going to be powerful," Sere snorted as she tried to avoid the consort topic. She had already told Tweak she was not going to even have sex, and that was a huge function of the consort.

"Yeah, yay. What was he talking about?" Tweak demanded.

"I'm a Queen. One of the three main males in a Queen's court is a Consort, which is like a husband except they're not officially married. The other two positions are Steward and Master of the Guard. My mother came up with a position to temporarily fill the consorts position, and that was First Escourt. It was because she was waiting for my father," Sere told him.

"SO, when a Queen forms a court, she picks three main males?" Tweak asked. Sere nodded.

"Sounds hard. How could you choose?"

"Grandpa told me a long time ago that males are drawn to their Queen, and that we don't choose them, they choose us," Sere replied. Tweak smiled.

"Sounds like a cause for open warfare sometimes. What if several men chose the same Queen?"

"Well, the Queen chooses one."

"Yeah, that's crazy. Man, the Blood sound so smart at times, yet at other times, you guys sound like you place an awful lot of trust in others,"Tweak told her. Sere smiled.

"I know that you're used to a place that is filled with fear and greed and mistrust, but Kaeleer is a lot different. People trust and it's because that trust is built on the past. People have always been pretty steady, and that makes other comfortable in the fact that they can count on others."

"Sounds boring and safe."

"It might sound boring, but one thing the Blood will never be is boring Tweak. You should see the surprises that pop up. Like a unicorn suddenly coming in for breakfast,"Sere told him. Tweak felt his mind almost shut down after the mental gymnastics it tried to pull with that simple example.

"Wonder what party they're going to," Sere wondered aloud. Tweak almost laughed.

"Probably a rave. That should be interesting," Tweak told her. Sere giggled.

"What's a rave?"

"Think of a huge party with lots of flashing lights and loud music," Tweak told her. Sere wrinkled her nose.

"I guess it could be fun if people were in the mood, but usually I prefer small gatherings. Winsol is my favorite. I don't know if I'll celebrate it this year though," Sere whispered sadly.

"Why not?"

"Traditions seem so far away. Winsol is in three weeks, but I don't know if everyone will know by then. Besides, from what I read, everyone celebrates something called Christmas here." Tweak chuckled for Sere had pronounced the 'I' in Christmas as if she was saying Christ's name.

"First off, it's Christmas, He said pronouncing it right. "And second off, most of them will go celebrate with their families. Actually, all of them will. I won't, my mother died when I was little, so I'll celebrate Winsol with you and your cousins," Tweak told her. Sere smiled happily.

"Thank you. I think you'll enjoy it. We exchange small gifts and dance for the Glory of Witch,well, that might sound cocky. But we share a cup of blooded rum with someone and generally be happy."

"Blooded rum?"

"It tastes better than it sounds. Tweak, why are you being so nice to me? Yesterday you were rather…" Sere trailed off.

"I was an asshole yesterday because I had seen you in a dream, and it confused the hell out of me," Tweak told her. Sere sighed.

"Tweak, there's a lot you don't understand yet. There's so much that will happen soon, so much that can destroy the balance Kaeleer has achieved. SO much that could destroy this land," Sere told him.

"Then let it. This land is nothing but a toxic poison that needs to be cleansed of the hatred and fear. Those here who are Blood are feared because we have different powers. We're taken to science centers and made into lab rats," Tweak told her with his back turned.

"Did that ever happen to you?" Sere asked quietly.

"No, it almost did, but my mother saved me. She was strong, that's why they tracked us down. She set the entire house on fire and destroyed even herself, just to make sure I didn't end up in the center," Tweak said.

Sere put her arms around his waist and let her tears soak into the back of his shirt.

"How old were you?"

"Ten."

Sere wanted to take all the bad memories away, to comfort him. He had been a child when his mother had sacrificed everything just to save him from life in a cage.

She didn't realize that an ebon glow had surrounded the both of them, surrounding them in a feeling of safety.

"Sere," Tweak said after a few minutes. Sere sniffled.

"Yeah?"

"We're floating."

"What!" Sere exclaimed. She looked down and noticed they were with a bubble of ebon thunder's power. How had it happened without her realizing? Had the ebon thunder reacted to her distress?

"Wow, this is amazing. It reminds me of your jewel," Tweak said as he watched the lightning zig zag a pattern of different jewel tones across the shield.

"It's like a thunderstorm," Sere said. Tweak nodded.

"They've always been calming to me. It's like, each time I saw lightning, it was my anger being released, and it time thunder sounded, it was a scream I never let escape," Tweak told her. Sere nodded.

She sat on air with her legs crossed and relaxed as the lightning zigzagged over the bubble of power.

"That's kind of unnerving, you doing that," Tweak told her.

"Oh, I'm really sorry," Sere said as she let herself stop floating suddenly. She fell with a thump to the bottom of the bubble. Tweak laughed as she rubbed her bum.

"I was kidding. It's actually kind of cool," Tweak told her. Sere giggled and let herself float back up.

"When you get your birthright jewel you'll be able to do it too," Sere told him. Tweak smiled.

"Kick ass," He told her. Sere looked at him oddly, but let it slide. She'd probably never get used to the slang terms here.

Some time later, Sere let the bubble around them fade and set Tweak on the floor gently. He looked at the sauce.

"We'll need to heat it, but it should be okay," Tweak said as he put the ingredients together and stirred them. He turned the dial on to the stove, having turned it off earlier when he first realized he was floating. His powers came in useful for small things at least.

"Okay. SO, when do you think the party will be over?" Sere asked.

"If they went to a rave, they won't be back till tomorrow," Tweak told her as he put the fettuccini in a bowl and handed it to her. Sere smiled thankfully and set the table.

Oddly, Sere felt the easy comfort between herself and Tweak was lost for the night, and that saddened her, because he was the only one so far who knew of the Blood. She reflected that it would have been nice to have a friend.

After they ate, Tweak put the dishes in the sink and put the rest of the noodles in a Tupperware container.

"Want to watch a movie?" He asked, trying to break the silence. Sere looked at him quizzically.

"What's a movie?" Sere asked him. He smiled. Finally another thing he knew more about than she did. Movies and television.

Three hours later Tweak almost gave up. Sere had not sat back and watched a movie at all. Instead she had flipped through the movie channels, watched five minutes of the movie, and then decided she didn't know enough of the world it was set in to understand the movie.

Tweak went through his head to try and figure out what she could watch without asking questions or feeling lost. And then it hit him. He rummaged through his book bag and pulled out Mists Of Avalon. He walked over to the VCR and popped the first tape in. She looked at him with curiosity and he smiled and motioned for her to be quiet. He had jacked the tape from blockbuster and watched it every time he crashed at a friends house.

The movie began and progressed, and Sere stopped asking questions after the first ten minutes. He switched between watching her rapt face and the movie. Some parts made her face wrinkle in disgust, and in others she looked confused.

By the time the movie was over Tweak felt tired, yet he knew that Sere was full of questions.

"So, what did you think?" He asked her.

"It was, akin and different than the way our magic works. Is that truly how people see magic here?" Sere asked him. Tweak sighed.

"Not everyone. Some people see magic as wonderful, others terrible. Some see it as earth based, others see it as a gift from Satan."

"Saetan? You mean he's become myth here? Funny, Grandfather might like to know that," Sere said aloud.

"What do you mean?" Tweak asked suspiciously.

"Well, my grandfather is Saetan. He was the High Lord of Hell, the Priest of the Hourglass, and well, one of them men who helped Witch, my mother, grow. He was a Guardian, and then he made the transition to demon dead. My father thought he had just become a whisper in the darkness, which means his prensence is totally gone. But we found out differently recently. My father, his namesake, took over both positions."

"Are you joking?" Tweak asked. His mind was rejecting the idea.

"Tweak, with everything else you know of me, why does this surprise you?" Sere asked quizzically. She knew that two thousand yours ago, Hell had been a myth, as well as unicorns and the arachnians. But now it was a well known fact they were real. Had Hell become a myth in this world?

"Holy shit, so your dad gets to punish the dead?" Tweak asked.

"Well, only if they deserve it. Everyone who dies and makes the transition to demon dead goes to Hell, simply because it's a place where they'll be more comfortable. I guess that it's hard to comprehend, but I've been there. Saetan was born to be the prince of darkness, and he is a fair judge. The last time I heard he tortured a demon was when he did a purge of Hell. He wanted to rid Hell of Heketah's supporters," Sere said as if it wasn't an earth shaking piece of information.

'She'll have my brain tying itself in knots,' Tweak mentally groaned. Then his mind almost shut itself off as he realized just everything she had said.

"Your father is the High Lord of Hell?" He squeaked.

"Yeah," Sere said after yawning.

'That's it, this is going to kill me. I don't need to worry about magic anymore, this is going to kill me,' Tweak told himself. He groaned and banged his head on the wall behind his head.

"Something wrong?" Sere asked innocently.

"No, nothing," Tweak told her in a small voice. 'Nothing except the fact that I made fun of the Princess of Hell!'

Sere only looked at him funny and then shrugged. She got up and left the room. Tweak could have sworn he heard her mutter 'Males', but he couldn't be sure when his own mind was full of racing thoughts. He knew that more surprises were coming, and they'd all be as big as this one.

The next morning while Sere and Tweak enjoyed a comfortable silence as they prepared breakfast, the front door crashed open and she heard several people groan wearily. She popped her head out of the kitchen and saw several tired people.

"Did you guys have fun?" She asked. Daemonar looked at her like she had lost her mind.

"Fun? I've never seen so many people out of their minds!" Daemonar roared. Liz giggled and yawned.

"He's just mad that several girls hit on him because they were on x and their boyfriends were less than pleased," Liz told Sere. Sere smiled and giggled.

"Anyone interested in breakfast?" Tweak asked as he walked into the living room where everyone had fallen onto couches and chairs, or in some cases, onto the floor. Bob had already passed out.

"Food?" Severnar perked up. "Coffee?"

"Yes cousin. I'll go get everyone some. Tweak, are you sure you cooked enough for all of them?" Sere asked as they bustled around the kitchen.

"Half of them will be asleep by the time we get back in that room. Can't you hear Matt and Sam's chorus of snores?" Tweak joked. Sere listened closely, and Tweak did as well.

"Oh my god, they really are snoring," Tweak muttered. Sere giggled and walked into the living room. Everyone was already fast asleep.

"Should we take pity on them and let them sleep?" Sere asked with a raised brow. Tweak nodded and smiled. Stormy, his street sister, had passed out with her head on Daemonar's lap.

"I'll kill him if he hurts her," Tweak told Sere. Sere nodded.

"Likewise if she ever causes him any distress," Sere replied. Tweak nodded in agreement, knowing how much distress a woman could cause a man.

"So, you think we could find Severnar a girlfriend?" Tweak asked. Sere snorted into her mug of coffee.

"Would you do that to some poor unsuspecting sister?" Sere asked.

"He's that bad?"

"Not bad really. Just, I don't think he's ready to settle yet," Sere told Tweak. Tweak nodded and laughed.

* * *

Blix:Please review

Nana:Yeah,it'll make her write faster

Dressi:Plus it'll make her smile


	6. Chapter 6

**Blix**:Sorry,my muses went mia for a while there

**Nana**:But were back!

**Dressi**:Yay!

**Blix**:Hip _censored_ hooray

* * *

**Authors Note**

RandomBandNerd,Ephona,AngharadGwyn,TamPhuoc,thank you all so much for your reveiws.They keep me happy and make me smile.And RandomBandNerd,this story answers the question of Tweaks rank and who he is in the Blood.But as for the consort thing,he might,he might not.Right now,my friends are partially controlling the story by saying they would or wouldn't do this and that.So yeah...Im honestly not sure where this is going to go.But I do know that this is going to be a very long story...A very long story.Im already working on the next chapter.It might take awhile since some of my friends back in Sac have a hard time getting a hold of me since they're busy.BTW,the fact that people are homeless in this story has a lot to do with how they react to Sere and other things.Well,I guess that's it,sorry for rambling,and once again thankies for taking time to review!It makes me uber happy!

* * *

**_Ebon Thunder_**

**Chapter 6-Warlord Princes,Attackers and Dragons, Oh My!

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**

Later that afternoon, after Tweak had roused the group, everyone ate some lunch the newly appointed chef had cooked. As Severnar stuffed his mouth full of potato salad, he watched the looks one of the males was sending his cousin. It wasn't Tweak either. Tweak he admittedly liked, even if he was a bit rough around the edges. But this male was sending looks of pure lust. It was disgusting.

Sere chatted on with Liz and Stormy without noticing the looks being sent her way. It made her seem naïve, and Severnar didn't understand how she didn't notice. He felt like there should be holes in her back.

"Sever, I think I'm going to go make a quick trip out of town in a few days. Alone."

Severnar heard the words, but paid no heed as a message filtered through to his mind.

'Sever, I'm taking Tweak to the keep for his Birthright Ceremony. We've agreed that we're going to meet up under the bridge. He's going to leave the day before, saying he's going to some place called Chico. I need you to keep the ruse up for a little while longer so I can get this done. Do you think you can keep everyone from finding out?' Sere sent on a gray thread. Severnar sensed that Daemonar heard it too.

'Anyone care to tell me why I'm hearing this?' Tweak's voice asked. Severnar, Sere, and Daemonar all jumped slightly and looked at the male.

'Well, like I said, we all know he's going to be powerful,' Sere mentally snorted. Daemonar nodded and Severnar gave her a smile. He knew that things were going to get very interesting indeed.

But he cast a look at the lustful male and wondered how bad the fight would be when the males fought for his cousin's hand.

* * *

Three days later found everyone wishing Sere a safe trip. The former homeless teenagers all seemed reluctant to let Sere go, as if they feared she was abandoning them. As Sere walked out the door, Daemonar busied himself with keeping Stormy from crying, and Severnar was trying to convince Sam she was coming back. For some reason, no one was readily accepting the fact that Sere was coming back.

Sere felt tears gathering, cursing herself for a fool for not realizing just how fragile their trust was and for never asking why they had been on the street in the first place. She knew without a doubt most of them had run away or been abandoned.

She quickly ran form the complex and rode the train to Old Sacramento. From there she walked quickly through the gathering twilight across the bridge and down the path, her heart beating fast.

What jewel would Tweak wear? Would Lorn accept him? What would her family think of him?

She was so busy in her thoughts that she didn't notice someone behind her. She waited for Tweak, and turned and smiled when someone's hand fell on her shoulder. She saw Pyro leering at her and felt fear stab her heart and make her stomach churn.

"What are you doing here?" He asked, his brown eyes shining oddly. Sere tried to back away, but his hand tightened on her shoulder to a bruising grip. Her fear touched her jewel, and she felt herself slowly spiraling deep into the abyss, into herself.

"This is my bridge, you have to pay the toll," He said as he took one of her breasts into his hands and handled it roughly, making her want to scream in outrage.

_'No! Not one of the dreamers! I don't want to hurt…Not this! NO!'_

Tweak rushed towards the bridge, his fury filling him,seeing images from Sere's eyes, knowing someone he called a friend dared to hurt his Queen.How dare he! His hands clenched into his palms, drawing blood with his ragged nails as he almost flew over the bridge and down the path. He got underneath and saw that Pyro was choking her, and her eyes were closed. He knew that she had passed out before she had made it into the abyss to gather power for a blow on the bastard.

His rage driving him, he threw himself against the attacker and pinned him, fury making him snarl. He didn't hear the left wrist of the assailant break over the roar of blood in his ears.

"You will never touch her again!" He snarled at Pyro, his once friend. He was ready to kill the man when Sere's voice protruded into his thoughts.

"Don't hurt him," Sere whispered, her voice frightened. Tweak looked incredulous for a second, then he growled, angry with her pleading. Angry that he gave in.

But he was jubilant to see her alive and not hurt badly.

He was about to walk towards her when Pyro's good hand came up and tried to hit him in his temple with a rock.

But something weird happened, and Tweak felt himself pulled by some sort of force into the space between two of the bridge supports. Everything swirled, then winked out of existence.

All was black, then he opened his eyes as someone yelled and threw something.

"He hurt my granddaughter!" A man roared. "I may be dead but I can still kill the bastard! You can have what's left if he makes the transition!"

"Father, she may be your granddaughter, but she's my daughter, and as her father I have every right to shave the bastard who tried to rape her," Another voice said with icey cruelty lacing it. Tweak knew they spoke of Pyro.

"He was my friend,but she's my Queen. I'll kill him," Tweak muttered as he got up. He looked around for Sere and didn't see her.

"You haven't even made your Offering yet! How can she be your Queen?" The second man asked.

"Because I choose her,and I'm sure she accepts me. As one of her court, I demand the right to kill Pyro for his attempted rape. I may not have a jewel yet, but he hurt my Lady, and so help me God, I'll make it long and painful," Tweak growled. His rage began to fill his head with a buzzing noise.

The first man put a hand on his shoulder, and his rage receded a bit.

"I understand. Right now Lorn has the boy. Sere's mother is tending to her with Draca. DO you know who I am?" The man asked. Tweak nodded weakly when he found out just who he had demanded rights from.

"Sere's grandfather Saetan?" Tweak asked. The man nodded.

"This is my son, her father Daemon. Now, you must be Tweak. Odd name, but Kaeaskavi likes it," Saetan said as he made Tweak sit back down.

"My real name's Seth," Tweak told him, watching him sit down. A glass appeared in front of him, dancing with some sort of blue fire. He was scared to touch it until the fire went out and Saetan chuckled. He then took it and gulped, thinking the liquid had been alcoholic. He spluttered when he tasted something…Different.

"It's yarbarah. Now, Sere has been somewhat quiet. She's been shocked, understandable. You, as one of her court,the only one present, have to help her come out of this shock. She's fighting to stay in her body. If she severs the cord that ties her spirit to her body, we could lose her forever. I don't want to lose her,and I assume you don't want that to happen." Tweak shook his head vehemently. Saetan smiled.

"Well Old Son, looks like you're in for the ride of a lifetime. As soon as Lorn gets done with the bastard that caused all this, you get to go see the old man," Daemon said. Tweak nodded nervously. He knew from listening to Sere talk about Kaeleer that Lorn was a dragon and for all intents and purposes, a sort of protective figure. He was lucky her father, THE High Lord of Hell, hadn't killed him.

Silence ensued Saetan's words when suddenly a woman rushed in,her long blonde hair falling chaotically around her exotically shaped face. He saw that Sere had her facial shape and high cheekbones. And one eye. The deep sapphire eyes stopped scanning the room and stopped on him.

The room faded and he felt himself drawn into the swirling, ocean-like depths.

He was in the Abyss. He didn't know how he knew it, he just did.

"What are your intentions towards my daughter?" A midnight voice whispered. Tweak looked around and saw a nude figure. Somehow it didn't surprise him to see Sere's mother's eyes on the creature in front of him.

"I wish to serve her in any way that she requires. I want to protect her," Tweak told Jaenelle. He felt her smile. He didn't question that he was feeling the smile instead of seeing it.

"Why?"

"I-I don't know. But I'm willing to find out," He whispered, at a loss for words.

He felt the smile widen and suddenly he was back in the room he had awoken in. Saetan and Daemon looked at him with slight smiles. Jaenelle was grinning and holding her husband's hand.

"Why's everyone smiling?" Tweak asked, his suspicion making the tone somewhat defensive.

"I think my daughter's found her consort," Jaenelle told him.

"She doesn't want one. She said she can't risk being broken because a male was too rough. So no, she hasn't," Tweak said as he looked at the ground.

He felt the silence filling the room with all the unasked questions and the despair.

Suddenly a serpentine creature walked in. He knew it was Draca. She looked directly at him and beckoned. Tweak followed her. He was stopped by Daemon's hand touching his shoulder.

"Things don't always turn out the way you expect. But you're a dreamer. A strong dreamer. Never forget that," Daemon said. Tweak nodded and left the room. He followed Draca through the countless halls and down the steep stairs. She opened a door and he felt the huge room around him, though he saw nothing save a huge mass of glittering jewels.

"Go to him, he will give you your birthright," The sibilant voice told him. Tweak went to the pile of jewels and suddenly a huge eye opened. Tweak almost jumped back, then steeled himself. He had to do this to save Sere, to save Kaeleer and his friends.

"You ssseek to sssave the dream?" A voice asked in his head. Tweak nodded.

"Then follow me into the Abyssssss,"The voice said. Tweak was about to ask how to follow when once again the room around him was gone and the floor dropped out from underneath him.

He fell through webs of different colors. Deeper and deeper. He began to slow at the Red, then slower at Gray, then he stopped totally at the Black.

"You will be the next High Lord. You were born to carry on the tradition, from father to ssson. You are the ssson of Daemon'sss sssoul. You are a mirror Ssseth. To sssave the dream you mussst push yourself beyond the limit. You are birthright Red, but that isss not enough. I give you the Black. Wear them well," The sibilant voice told him, and then he was wrapped in a howling storm of fury and shame and rage. He knew the emotions better than most.

He looked everywhere around him, searching for Sere,but not seeing her in the bright flashes of jewel toned lightning. His voice called out through the Abyss, but the thunder drowned out his desperate pleas.

Searching within himself,he pushed all his power into one thought,and let it guide him.

As the Black pulsated within his clenched hand,he felt a serene feeling despite his fear and desperation. As he felt the dark energy flow around him, he let his mind wander through the abyss. He was in her territory,that he knew. He was so close to the woman he had known so shortly,but had come to care for so deeply.

"Sere!" His voice shouted and echoed when he felt the hint of her spirit. He followed the path and found her. His voice couldn't form words, his heart constricted in his chest.

She was curled into the fetal position with her long black hair the only thing covering her. Her pale skin was wet from rain he hadn't taken the time to notice. She trembled, whether from fear or cold he didn't know.

"Sere," He finally whispered. She looked up at him, her mismatched eyes filled with shame.

"Sere, it's time to come back to us," He told her. Sere sobbed and ran into his open arms. Tweak rubbed her back as they soared up higher in the abyss, passing several jewel colored webs. His arms tightened around her, but he never once hurt her. She clung to his body still trembling.

And then he awoke in the chamber, surrounded by Sere's family. Daemon smiled and helped him up. Jaenelle eyed him and grinned.

"Well Daemon, seems like you have someone else to train," She told him. Daemon guffawed and Saetan looked at Tweak quizzically.

"He's just like you guys," Jaenelle told him. Both men groaned and a new voice began to laugh hysterically.

"Another Daemon? Mother Night this is impossible!" The man said. Tweak turned and saw an older version of Daemonar. With wings.

"Lucivar, shut up," Daemon growled.

"Can I see Sere?" Tweak asked. Jaenelle, being the only one that heard him as the other three males argued, nodded and began to walk away, and Tweak followed.

They walked up the stairs and Jaenelle spoke to him.

"You wear the black? Well, I suppose it's natural. It will be interesting to see how Sere reacts to having yet another Warlord Prince to protect her and fuss over her. It's wonderful, really. It makes me feel better knowing that in the other world she will have you and her cousins. Craft is hard, but you'll get the hang of it easily I think, especially with Sere to guide you," Jaenelle told him.

"Is she going to be okay?" Tweak asked. Jaenelle suddenly turned serious.

"Nothing is really wrong with her physically other than a few bruises and a sore throat. Emotionally though. Before you said she'd never take a consort. This may very well enforce it. I don't think she'll be afraid of males per say. Just that aspect of men," Jaenelle finished.

"I don't care, she's still my Queen. Either way I'll serve," Tweak told her. Jaenelle opened the door and smiled at him.

"I know," She whispered. Tweak walked past her and rushed to the bed. Sere was her normal color again, and her breathing was steady. He flinched when he saw the nasty bruises around her throat and knew that there would be some on her breast from how Pyro had manhandled her as well.

He cursed himself over and over for not getting there sooner. He could have saved them all this pain,and Sere the trauma.

But he knew that you couldn't change the past. He knew that better than anyone.

He knelt next to the bed and held her hand within his own and then passed out,exhausted from using most of his power in the abyss.

He smiled slightly in his dreams when he heard Lorn's voice whisper "Well done".

* * *

**Blix**:Im planning something truly evil for Pyro,and he's okay with all this,sort of

**Nana**:He bitched and moaned and then accepted he was made to be evil

**Dressi**:Not to mention the mph!

_:Nana and Blix hogtie Dressi and gagg him before he can finish:_

**Blix**:Glad he didn't reveal that bit 

**Nana**:Yeah,otherwise I'd have killed him


	7. Chapter 7

**Blix**:Wow, another chappy! Thanks to Gravity Of Love for helping me write. Songs like that always make me want to write.

**Nana**:It's a good song by enigma. Go download it everyone, or buy it, or whatever.

**Dressi**:Everyone, this is an odd chappy, but everything will make sense as the story goes on

**Blix**:Sere's cruelty flashes a bit in this one guys. Still no real romance though

**Nana**:Say at the end of the chapter if you want a lil side story about Sere and Tweaks walk in the garden! If you do, say what type!

**Dressi**:Yeah, the characters inspiring Tweak and Sere hate each other right now lol

* * *

**Authors Notes**:Okay,so heres what happens to Pyro. Sere's cruelty flashes. Life begins to suck. Blah blah.

Ephona,thank you so much for the continued reviews, they make me really happy, you have no idea how much it keeps me wanting to write.HugglesThank you thank you thank you!

* * *

**_Ebony Thunder_**

**Chapter 7-Frozen Emotion

* * *

**

Tweak awoke the next afternoon feeling like he had a hangover. He groaned and buried his head deeper into the pillows and pulled the warm body next to his closer. He smelled jasmine, like the incense his mother used to burn. He felt the body cuddle deeper into his embrace and wondered who he knew that smelled like jasmine.

Then his eyes flew open and he couldn't see past the mass of black hair. He moved his head slightly and his eyes widened when he saw that he and Sere were in the same bed, plastered together so that a ruler couldn't fit between them!

Tweak very carefully removed his arm from around her waist and quickly moved off of the bed. He walked and sat in a chair, watching Sere sleep peacefully.

Seeing nothing amiss, he retreated into his thoughts and let his mind wander. He thought of Lorn's praise and felt more than a little pride, not to mention he was a Black jeweled Warlord Prince.

Then his mind wandered to Pyro.

What had Lorn done to the scumbag? Had he shattered his inner web and thrown him into the Twisted Kingdom? Tweak almost hoped not because he wanted a chance to beat the hell out of the bastard.

The door suddenly opened and Daemonar popped his head in. He looked at his sleeping cousin,then made a hand gesture for Tweak to follow him.

Tweak obeyed and they closed the door behind him. They walked down the hallway and through the corridor in silence. It was as they walked down the stairs that Daemonar finally spoke.

"Thank you. Grandfather told me what you did in the abyss," He said softly. Tweak thought he heard a slight sob in the tone.

"She's my Queen, it's my duty to do anything, sacrifice anything, to keep her safe," Tweak told him as they arrived at the bottom of the stairs. When they did, Daemonar turned and looked at him.

"You have a strong grasp of what it is to be Blood, to be a Warlord Prince. Welcome Brother," Daemonar said as he embraced Tweak.

And for the first time since before his mother died, Tweak felt like he was truly in the right place, and that he was beginning something right..

Sere awoke to her mother's gentle prodding, and she felt the magic that had covered her in a protective embrace as she had slept.

"Finally awake I see?" Jaenelle said as she handed her daughter a glass filled with shimmering liquid.

Sere downed the sweet tasting fluid and sighed in relief as her abused throat began to feel less sore. Jaenelle smiled slightly when she noticed her daughter looked the same pretty much. The mismatched eyes didn't carry the haunted look Jaenelle had so often seen in the mirror back before she had let the memories go.

"Where's Tweak?" Sere asked suddenly, as if frightened that he had died. Jaenelle sighed, knowing there was good reason for Sere to be afraid. Tweak could have easily broken his new jewels by trying to save her.

"He's fine. Right now he's tucking into a large lunch while listening to the males bicker amongst themselves. It will be interesting considering he's stronger than a couple of the males, not to mention he ranks equal to your father and grandfather," Jaenelle giggled. Sere smirked when she realized that her father was finally going to have to contend with a male just like him. Then she almost gasped when she realized he would probably kill Tweak in ten minutes.

She almost flew through the corridors and down the stairs. She ran into the informal dining room and saw Saetan, Lucivar, Daemon, Daemonar and Tweak all chatting amiably as Tweak wolfed down the plate of food. She almost fell over with relief when Tweak spotted her and growled after swallowing the mouthful of food.

"You're supposed to still be in bed, resting," His voice rumbled. Sere groaned and went and sat between her father and grandfather. She was so busy trying to ignore Tweak that she didn't notice the males of her family looking on with intense interest.

"Sere," Tweak growled. She blithely ignored the newly jeweled Warlord Prince and began to butter a piece of toast she grabbed from a platter.

Tweak felt his temper rising,then leashed it. He knew that keeping safe came before serving. In his heart her understood the distinction suddenly. Witches were proud, strong women. They would not admit any weakness.

He wanted to groan when he realized he was serving someone who was probably going to fight him and his safety precautions like a cat getting dipped.

He leashed his temper and his anxiety. He could think if he didn't let himself become angry or emotional. He could deal with the problem at hand if he didn't let himself become tangled in his feelings.

"Fine my Lady. You may continue to ignore precautions made for your safety and health. But each minute you stay down here, I will let another one of the kindred know you are not taking care of yourself. And each one will come here and find out why you are placed on this restriction in the first place," Tweak told her,his voice laced with ice.

Sere turned several shades paler than she already was and whispered one word. "Bastard." Then she fled the room and Tweak knew she was running for Draca. He felt her emotions down to his core, and silently called himself the very thing she had several times.

He stopped when he noticed all the men at the table staring at him with open jaws.

"What?" He asked defensively, his suppressed emotions came boiling to the surface and made themselves known in his voice.

"You've gotten the hang of serving rather quickly," Saetan said calmly, when his mind was telling him Tweak _was_ the mirror of himself and Daemon. "Safety comes before obeying," Saetan told him simply.

Tweak merely shrugged wearily.

"I know she doesn't want anyone to know that she had a moment of weakness. I know that she doesn't want the kindred tearing Pyro apart. She knew he was a dreamer, but I think everything he'd been through in his life warped and twisted him to the point where he let hope go and when he saw the dream, he treated it as he has always been treated," Tweak told them quietly.

"By raping her?" Daemon roared.

"That's what he knows,all he knows. I never thought he'd end up just like his father okay? His father claimed he loved him and beat and raped him for the first fifteen years of his life until Pyro finally ran. I thought he was strong enough to break the cycle," Tweak suddenly sobbed. He had tried so hard to keep his anger, knowing it was the only thing blocking him from seeing the loss of someone he had tried to help, someone he had tried to save.

He had failed. He had failed Pyro, he had failed Sere. He had failed all the people Pyro had hurt that he didn't know about.

"Old son, I know it's hard to accept someone you love can do horrible things. But all the Blood have the characteristic. Especially a Warlord Prince or a Queen. If one of the Blood is cruel to another, the one hurt can become the exact same thing,or worse," Lucivar said with a flinch, remembering what he had seen in a queen's bedroom so long ago. He remembered the shadows of his son and wife that had been created just to convince the two bitches that Daemon was on their side.

Daemon was still cruel when he had to be.Saetan was cruel when he had to be. It was part of being Blood. But Lucivar would never compare to those two's ability to make it last.

"I failed Sere though,because I wasn't there in time," Tweak whispered brokenly. "I don't deserve to be in her court."

"No, you didn't fail her by being too late, no matter how much you think you did. We cannot change what happens. But you saved her Tweak. You went into the Abyss and brought her back to us," Daemon told him. Tweak nodded. He would carry the scars of the past few days forever.

"What's going to happen to Pyro?" Tweak asked after a few moments of silence. Saetan sighed.

"Lorn took him into the Abyss and showed him everything in his past. Until now I didn't know how that was so bad, but now I see. Pyro is barely alive. Little by little the girls he hurt are taking his sanity, his energy, and his power. By midnight he will be nothing more than a demon dead husk of his former self," Saetan told Tweak, being blunt and honest. He didn't tell Tweak that Pyro had called out for someone to save him over and over, or that broken, mad sobs were interlaced with a little boy's voice crying out to his father to stop and that he was sorry.

Saetan knew it would make Tweak go mad himself, and Saetan would not risk the blame should Sere demand the life of the one who sent one of her court into the Twisted Kingdom.

And knowing the mindset she would force herself into to deal with the situation, he had no doubt she wouldn't hesitate to demand the full price of anyone.

Even her family.

* * *

Sere walked down the stairs, her face a cold mask of indifference. Only Tweak and her father saw the flashes of pain underneath the coldness her eyes held.

Her court and her family followed in the dim light of the torches. As they arrived at the bottom, Sere opened a door in the corridor and walked inside.

Only her court followed, as protocol dictated.

Daemonar and Tweak saw the young man curled into a tight little ball, sobbing brokenly. Sere's mask slipped for a moment,and she closed her eyes and almost sobbed. Then she clenched her eyelids together for mere seconds and when she opened them again, her cold mask was back in place.

Tweak shivered when he saw no trace of the Sere he knew in those eyes.

"Prince Pyro, you have been charged with attempted rape and assaulting one of my court," Her midnight, chilly voice was empty of everything.

"Kill me,please kill me Sere. Don't let him hurt me anymore," Pyro sobbed. Sere simply closed her eyes again, and told Tweak and Daemonar to leave the room. Tweak was about to protest when Daemonar dragged him out.

"She needs us gone so she can do this," Daemonar whispered after he had closed the door. Tweak nodded, understanding suddenly.

Suddenly the Keep shook violently and the door to the room Sere and Pyro were in shattered in a million pieces, each one covered with ice. Sere walked out of the room and passed everyone, and walked up the stairs. Tweak began walking towards the room and Daemon clamped a hand on his shoulder.

"You may not want to see," Daemon told him when he shrugged the hand off.

Tweak looked anyways, then rushed out of the room and choked holding the bile surging up his throat down.

He steadied himself, then closed the doors on his emotions. He couldn't fear Sere if he was going to serve her. He couldn't fear what she could do.

He made sure the door he had closed in his mind was locked tight, and then he looked at the room again.

Frozen pieces of what was once a human lay everywhere. Tweak noticed there was no one piece bigger than the two inch piece of a broken jewel he found. Drained of any trace of spirit or energy.

He walked out once more and looked Daemon straight in the eye.

"She did what she had to do," Tweak said as he walked past them. He didn't notice the worried glances everyone sent him as he walked away.

How much of a mirror of daemon would he be? And of Daemon's past self, who had possessed the ability to be infinitely cruel, or the healed Daemon who's emotions often stopped him from being as he used to be.

* * *

Everyone watched Sere that night, and they watched Tweak as well. Sere had not dropped the mask of cold indifference, and Tweak had kept his own emotions locked away even after he had come back down from his rooms.

"Sere, Titian is going back with you," Jaenelle told her daughter. Sere dropped her fork on her plate, stood up, and looked her mother square in the eyes.

"No."

"Yes, and you will not argue further," Jaenelle told her daughter. Sere smiled coldly, put her hands on the table, and a black ice began to spread. Everyone stood quickly and backed away from the piece of furniture rapidly covering itself in ice.

As Sere finished covering it in ice, a flash of gray energy appeared within the ice's depths,then one of red, then suddenly the surface of the ice was flashing with a tone of each jewel becoming a lightning bolt.

Tweak smiled at everyone else's fearful expressions. He knew that Sere was strong, and he knew she didn't want Titian with her for whatever reason. So until he found reason to defy his Queen's wishes, he would stand beside her.

He walked over to her and put his hand on her shoulder.

"You've frightened everyone enough. Let's go for a walk," He told her. Sere nodded and suddenly a surge of dark power shattered the table.

The two Blood left the room without any obstacle.

"I'm not sure which scares me more. Her display of power to scare her own family, or his support of her," Jaenelle whispered.

"He has no allegiances except to her right now. He will do anything, sacrifice anything, to keep his Queen safe and happy. But at least he will keep her safe," Saetan told her.

"Was I like that when I began to serve?" Daemon asked hoarsely.

Lucivar looked at his brother and saw the shamed expression in the male's eyes.

"Yes," He answered honestly, almost against his will.

"What happens now?" Daemonar asked.

"They choose their paths on the tangled web," Saetan replied honestly.

Everyone shivered at the fear that laced his voice.

* * *

**Blix**:Everyone,tell me if you want me to write a lil side story one shot about the garden walk and what you want to see and Ill see if my muses and I can comply.

**Nana**:Please review so Blix will smile again

**Dressi**:Shes having boy trouble right now,so please review,itll make her happy


	8. Chapter 8

Blix:This took awhile

Nana:Because of D

Dressi:Her new boyfriend

Blix:Shut up

Nana:She can't sleep much either

Dressi:Isnt that a sign of love?

Blix:BOTH OF YOU SHUT UP! Onto the story!

* * *

Authors Notes:None really that I can think of except to say thank you for all of the reviews everyone. Ephona, you have no idea how much I was bouncing around after your review for chapter 7. My friend Stormy(yes Stormy) was laughing at me because I was grinning like a madwoman. You are loved, as are all my reviewers.

Im sorry this is taking so long,but once again,lots of work to do at the other house and I do have a boyfriend now,who Ive had a crush on for over a year.Two years? Yeah we've always had crushes on eachother we just never knew it. But yeah enough about my love life,please forgive the lateness of the chapters from this point on. In a couple of months they should stop being late because the house will be done! This is a crappy chapter,I know,forgive me. Eveerything will be better in the future!

* * *

**_Ebony Thunder_**

**Chapter 8-Emotional Turmoil and Lampshade Decorations**

* * *

They would all leave Kaeleer tomorrow. Since the two Blood had walked in the garden three nights ago, they had both become their normal selves once more,as if Pyro had never existed. And considering how they all avoided the topic,he might as well not have.

Everyone walked on eggshells around the two, not knowing if they held the anger and despair in, or if they had truly let it go. Honestly, no one thought Sere would, because often she let the blame lie within herself, even if the fault was not her own. Tweak they knew nothing of, other than that he had the amazing ability to calm his Queen.

Tweak had formally joined Sere's court the day after Pyro's execution. He was in the first circle, and no one had questioned that, not aloud anyway. It had made Saetan look at his granddaughter in surprise and she had merely ignored him. Several kindred had also joined.

Sere had not spoken to any of her other Kaeleer friends though. Mainly because she had only two, and they were both out on the Land, trying to find some inner peace.

No one had told any outside of the close knit circle present about the veil falling. No one knew that Sere had made the Offering, or that she was Witch. Except Karla.

And no one knew her intentions.

* * *

The night before the three Blood would leave again for the world, Jaenelle approached the topic of Titian once again. Before she had finished the sentence Sere had gotten up and left. Tweak sighed.

"Titian can come."

"You have no right to make that decision," Daemonar said carefully, knowing he spoke to a much stronger, much more volatile darker jeweled Warlord Prince.

"She gave her consent," Tweak told Daemonar coldly. Daemonar shrugged, as if it was not his problem any longer. But everyone knew he was seething. It was the Steward's place to know such things and give consent in her place about a guest. Yet Tweak had been given the duty.

He wasn't the consort. But for some reason he was given the duties of one. Some of them at least.

"I wonder if Titian will become a part of Sere's court? They always got along famously. I don't understand why she was so," Jaenelle paused for a moment.

"Reluctant?" Saetan replied.

"To have Titian along," Jaenelle finished.

"She thinks you see her as too weak to defend her court. In her mind you think that her purpose is a failed one,since it was you who veiled the lands. Which was stupid to begin with," Tweak told Jaenelle. The room's degree dropped several notches.

"Just what do you mean by that?" Jaenelle's voice reflected midnight winters as it made many in the room shiver.

"If it hadn't been for you,my mother might still be alive. A lot of people wouldn't be lab rats living in the cages landens built. You're responsible for all the fear because you didn't think far enough ahead to realize the Blood would grow in our world. You were too foolish to think about the people that would be killed for what they were born with," Tweak told her with a voice just as cold, and it held an infinite amount of fury.

"I did what I had to do," Jaenelle defended,her voice losing it's coldness and becoming surprised and defensive.

"Correction. What you did because you couldn't stand to think of all the people you had helped break, even if they were tainted. It still made you feel guilty. But your guilt's misplaced. If you're going to feel guilty, feel guilty for the lab rats and the dead. Feel guilty for the children left behind," Tweak told her coldly. Jaenelle gasped at his words, and Daemon and Lucivar both rose to killing edge at the insult to their Queen. But Saetan saw underneath the insult.

"She made a mistake. Sere's correcting it Seth. Leave the past be,it can't be undone," Saetan said quietly. Tweak looked surprised at the use of his real name.

"Let it go," Lucivar told Tweak. Tweak looked at everyone in the room.

None of them understood. They had lost much in the war it seemed.

But he and his friends lived by hiding who they were. And it was that woman's fault!

He stalked from the room,slamming the door behind him.

He didn't even notice that he had destroyed the room as he had left.

* * *

"They're scared of the both of us," Sere told him. Tweak only sighed his agreement. What had happened? How had everyone gone from being thankful he saved Sere to fearing him?

He suddenly knew why Sere had told him wearing a dark jewel could be so lonely. People were scared of the power,and the people who held that power.

Sere must be the loneliest person in the world.

"I'm not that lonely. I have you," Sere told him. "You're probably my best friend," She whispered. Tweak felt stunned.

He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her gentle. The ebon haired girl leaned into him and Tweak tried to control his body's response. He was a male after all, and she was an especially attractive female.

But she wouldn't take any sort of lover. So he quelled the urges he felt. She needed his friendship right now. Nothing more, nothing less.

Everything has a price. He would serve her as best he could, and everyone else be damned.

* * *

Daemonar looked at the two dark jeweled Blood in the portal. And then at Titian. She too now had a web around her to disguise her race. Pointed ears and wings. Her eyes were still large compared to most people's standards, and her body was the willowy build of a dancer's. She would attract many males in the other world.

Daemonar had promised to look out for all of them. Saetan had spoken to him about Tweak, and Daemonar now held nothing against the man, or his Queen. He feared neither of them. After all, he was beginning to realize Tweak was the brother of his soul. Their dedication to their Queen first before anything else.

The Gate opened, and the four walked through. Titian was keeping a brave front so that her fear of the unknown would not show through her expressive eyes.

And then they were once more under the bridge. Sere and Tweak walked up the hill, side by side, and Titian followed behind, walking next to Daemonar.

"They will make an interesting pair," Titian told him as they walked over the bridge. Daemonar nodded, then sighed.

"She will not take any lover. She does not want to risk the chance of being broken and losing her power. So until this is over, they will continue to be friends," Daemonar told her. Titian gasped.

She had been through her Virgin Night already and found the bed extremely pleasing, though she didn't indulge often. How could Sere deny herself?

"I don't understand. I know he would be a gentle lover. He cares so much for her," Titian told her cousin. Daemonar only shrugged.

"She's not willing to risk it. Besides, I don't think she sees his desire. He accepts this and will continue to serve his Queen, no matter what. Even if it means never being able to express those feelings," Daemonar told her. Titian sniffled.

It was her moontime, so she blamed her feelings on that. But as they boarded the train, she looked at the pair sitting across from her.

They were so alike, yet a contrast at the same time. Where Sere was cloaked in ebony hair Titian noticed pale blonde hair peeking from beneath Tweak's bandanna. Sere's eyes were mismatched gold and blue, and Tweak's eyes were a pale lavender. Tweak was tan were Sere's skin was a pale, milky color. She was soft where he was hard, and were he was flat she was curved. Yet despite the contrast, they suited perfectly.

Titian wondered how long they would hold out on love, if they weren't in love already.

They arrived at their stop and walked to the apartment. Sere opened the door and walked in only she start fuming. She was glad she had something to feel besides confusion.

"What happened?" She said evenly, calmly.

The living room was a mess. Beer bottles littered the floor, and chip bags were everywhere. Sere thought she spotted someone's bra on the lamp, but decided not to look any closer. She feared she would lose it if it had a match8ing set of panties somewhere in the room.

Someone opened a groggy eye. It was Severnar. He groaned and sat up. Some unknown girl mumbled in her sleep and tried to cling closer to him on the limited space of the couch.

"There was a party," He said. Sere snorted and Daemonar growled.

"I'll handle it," Daemonar told Sere. Sere nodded and quickly walked to her room. Tweak went to the kitchen to prepare coffee for everyone, then stopped and went running when he heard Sere's outraged howl of fury.

"You did it in my bed? I don't even do it in my bed!" Sere screeched. Tweak looked past her and saw Stormy and a random man nude on Sere's bed. Then he turned and looked at Daemonar when he heard the Eyrien's gasp.

Daemonar was hurting. Tweak wanted to shake Stormy. Sere noticed her cousin's hurt look before he had spun on his heels and left the hallway. Lightning danced in her mismatched eyes. She quickly ground out a few words, then left. Tweak sent one look at Stormy that promised retribution and left as well.

"It's okay, it's not like we ever discussed courting," Daemonar told Sere. Tweak walked into the kitchen and sighed. He knew Stormy too well, as they had a deep friendship, and continued to make the coffee.

"She's hurting from her mother's abandonment. The only way she knows to feel accepted is by sex. I don't know if it's a good idea to even try. I know that sounds harsh, but I don't want her to hurt you. I love her to death, but I know how much it can hurt to have a girl fuck you over," Tweak said. The coffee made hissing noises as it began to fill the pot.

"If anyone hurts any of my court, I will punish them. She played with his feelings," Sere ground out.

"That might sound true. But you have to think about Stormy's emotions. Ever since she was left out on the streets by her mom, she's been scared of getting into any sort of emotional connection with people. It took her three years to get this far with the rest of the group. In all honesty, the only way Daemonar could ever have a relationship with her is to put in a lot of time, patience, and be willing to go through a lot of pain, both hers and his own. If he's willing to do that, fine. But I won't like it," Tweak told the two in the room.

Faygo stumbled in, his eyes bloodshot and weary. He had a hangover. Tweak poured his street brother a cup of coffee and watched as Faygo carefully sipped it.

"What was the screeching about?" Faygo asked. Tweak sent him a look that said 'Drop it now' and Faygo shrugged and let the subject go.

Stormy walked in as the front door opened and closed. Her guest was gone. Tweak stumbled into the room right after her with a girl attached to his side.

"Everyone, this is Darkstar. She's a squatter I met last night," Severnar told everyone. She waved groggily and sat on Severnar's lap and cuddled into his warmth.

Sere felt jealousy rise up in the girl. She wanted to have someone to curl up into. But Sere knew that if she did so, there was a strong possibility it would lead elsewhere.

Daemonar refused to look at Stormy, and ignored her. She kept glancing at him, her eyes begging forgiveness. But Daemonar didn't see that. Sere wanted to yell at everyone except Daemonar and Tweak and Titian. Her apartment was a mess and the dreamers she was supposed to save were to blame.

How could they have done this without even asking?

She supposed she would have to expose them to magic, and soon. But right after that, they were going to have a long talk with Saetan about Court Rules and Etiquette.

* * *

Blix:Hello everyone, sorry this took so long. I was-

Nana:Busy remodeling the house, which she's only doing because her boyfriend is helping out

Blix:Not true. I was doing work when he wasn't there!

Dressi:Blix is in loooooooooovvvvvvveeeeee

Nana:Not yet,but I think it's a close call

Blix:Please review. By the way, no one said if they wanted the side story with Tweak and Sere in the garden or not. Do you? Yes or no people, please answer!


	9. Chapter 9

**Blix**:Sorry this took so long guys

**Nana**:Shes….been having an off kilter week

**Blix**:I know what Tweak feels like now

**Dressi**:Itll help you relate to him better at least…

**Nana**:SHUT UP STUPID!hugs Blix closer

**Authors notes and such**:Hey guys,sorry its been so long.Ive been off kilter lately.But yeah.I love my boyfriend…I have for a long time…And I cant say it even though he knows.Hes not ready.Damnit I hate life sometimes.Enough of me being an emo bitch though. Ephona,I have a bit of am idea what you were saying in your review. But a lot of it didn't make sense,but Im happy the chappy made you happy. Thanks for the reviews!

**BTW,did anyone want the side story of Tweak and Sere in the garden,no one ever answered….****

* * *

**

** Ebony thunder**

**Chapter 9-Dark Mother**

* * *

The past couple of days hadn't gone well in the little apartment. Stormy had left entirely. Daemonar wouldn't speak much at all to anyone except for Tweak,and all in all everyone was tense. None of them understood why except for Sere. 

She knew that they felt what was coming. Its like the ominous clouds you see before a rainstorm. But people often forgot that rain heralded life for the Land, even if the land was poisoned.

It was afternoon and she and Tweak were alone in the kitchen. Daemonar was in his and Tweaks shared room. Severnar was with Darkstar in his room. There were a few people lazing about in the living room. The rest were out about the town.

Sere looked at Tweak and said directly and evenly; "We go through the gate tomorrow. All of us."

"Are you sure?" Tweak asked her as he put a cup of laced coffee in front of her. Sere nodded and sipped the soothing drink. Tweak nodded and sighed. He walked from the room to the one he shared with Daemonar,knowing he would be greeted with the same sight he saw as he went to bed every night.

"Daemonar, we leave for Kaeleer tomorrow," Tweak told him. Daemonar mumbled incoherently as he read another page of his book. Tweak wanted to smack the man silly for his foolishness.

"God damnit,cowboy the fuck up and stop acting like some emo bitch! She's a bitch,that's normal for a lot of girls here. She left, she's not coming back. Her loss, not ours. Now stop being so stupid and cheer up. You're dragging Sere down," Tweak told him. Daemonar merely blinked at him and sighed.

"I suppose I was stupid,wasn't I?" He asked Tweak. Tweak sighed and sat down next to him on the bed.

"Daemonar, it's not stupid to care about a girl. But you have to realize she was of the mindset that she was going to hurt someone because of her own insecurities. People like that show up from time to time. It's unfortunate but true. Maybe one day she'll grow up and come back to us, but you have to live instead of surviving day to day," Tweak told his friend. Daemonar nodded and sighed again. The boys got up and walked into the kitchen, wanting to talk to Sere. Instead they saw her passed out on the table, mumbling in her sleep.

"She's so cute,"Tweak whispered. Daemonar chuckled.

"Do you love her?" Daemonar asked. Tweak paled and then sighed in much the same fashion that Daemonar had only a few minutes ago.

"Yes. I haven't known her long,but I do. I feel so drawn to her, like I'm falling into some sort of chasm. I don't know what awaits at the bottom,but I know that she will not be there. Her choice is chastity. For the sake of everyone, for the Blood and the Kindred and the Landens. I respect her choice. I do not like it, but I will accept it. I love her, and I will serve as best I can, and protect her, and be there for her. That's all I can do, and I pray to the Darkness that will be enough," Tweak whispered.

"Will you become some other Queen's consort?" Daemonar asked as Tweak gentle pulled Sere into his arms in a bridal fashion. Tweak looked more serious than he ever had before when he answered the question.

"I would sooner face the cold fury of her father and teacher," Tweak told him before he left.

And Daemonar shivered, because he knew Tweak realized just what that meant.

Death.

* * *

"Who are you?" Sere asked the figure in flowing spider silk robes that stood before her. The woman's black hair flowed down to her waist in ebon waves. Sere did not see her face,only the woman's back. 

"I am the Dark Mother. I have many names,but you may call me know me best as the Dark Mother," The woman replied, turning to Sere.

Sere took in the beautiful features of the woman.

Alabaster pale skin, eyes that were as dark as Ebony, and a form that spoke of a woman who was in her thirties. She was the Mother.

"Why are you here?" Sere asked.

"Because you have questions. You still have no idea how to handle the problems you are facing. You don't know the explosion that will happen when the veil falls. You fear it more than almost anything, except for two things."

"How do you know what I fear?" Sere growled.

"I know you fear people fearing you because of your power, and I know you fear being forever alone because of it. I know this because it is the fear most powerful females face. Many powerful males face it too. Your grandfather faced it often. He loved his first queen, Cassandra. But she feared him. He lost so much hope until he met your mother. Your mother feared the same things as you."

Sere felt tears slip down her cheeks, though she made not a sound.

"Since the first Witch came into being, she and the following Witches have always been called upon to put others dreams before their own. I know the dream you keep stowed away within your heart. I see it as clearly as the flashes of lightning within your jewel. I will say this, fear can and will cripple you. You are young yet, do not give up hope in fear of it's consequences. Otherwise, you will lose everything," the Dark Mother told Sere.

"I won't take the chance. I was created to do something, and I must do it. Until that is done, I have no choice but to continue as I have," Sere replied hopelessly. The Dark Mother sighed and put her hands together. Slowly but surely she pulled her hands apart. A black ball of energy was within her hands, dancing with sapphire lightning bolts.

Sere watched in awe as the energy began to form into a flower. It took shape slowly, then after what seemed an eternity, suspended between the Dark Mother's hands was a perfect, dark blue rose. The unopened bud glowed with a sort of black tinge. Sere saw that it was no longer energy, but a real object.

"This rose is a reminder. An hourglass of sorts. It will not die until the veil has fallen. Time will begin to run out as the petals fall one by one. I give it to you for safe keeping My Lady," the Dark Mother said as the rose floated to Sere. She held it within her hands gently, wary of pricking herself on one of it's thorns.

"Thank you Dark Mother," Sere told the woman.

"I've always preferred Diana. It is easier," The Dark Mother chuckled. Sere smiled.

"Thank you Diana."

"May the Darkness be with you Lady," Diana told her.

And Sere felt herself falling back into her body once more. She had not even been conscious of the fact that she had left it.

* * *

**Blix**:Sorry its so short 

**Nana**:I like the rose idea

**Dressi**:Beauty and the beastish though

**Blix**:I wanted to add an element of a classic fairy tale,and Ill be adding more in the future. Just you wait and see

**Nana**:Theres got to be a conflict for this to go any further

**Dressi**:Doesn't that mean an en-ommph!

**Blix**:You guys shut up,Im not going to reveal any more other than to say some very interesting people are going to be showing up in the next chapter,and some severe problems. People it will only get worse before it gets better,be prepared for some tears.

**Nana**:Review!


	10. Uh Oh

Blix:Please forgive me,I hit a wall and had no clue what to do!

Nana:She will update once a week from now on come hell or high water

Dressi:Yeah yeah….

Blix:Im working hard on two stories right now. Plus I noticed people writing stories about a wall…Made me feel flattered,at least if they had gotten the idea from my fic….whatever

Nana:On with the story!Sorry its so short!

* * *

Disclaimer:I own nothing to do with the Dark Jewels Trilogy!

**Thankies Ephona,but I broke up with the bf, but we're friends. So it's all good. And thank you for reviewing Moren-re! It makes me feel all warm and uber fuzzy inside!**

* * *

Ebony Thunder

Chapter 10: Starting the Path

* * *

Sere awoke the next morning, rose in hand. Quickly she dressed in a pair jeans and a t-shirt, then pulled her hair into a messy bun. After picking the rose up, she walked out into the kitchen and saw everyone sipping coffee.

"I got them all rounded up," Tweak told her. Sere nodded gratefully as she accepted a cup of coffee from him.

"Everyone, be prepared to travel today. We're going somewhere important."

"Where?" Faygo asked as he shoveled food into his mouth.

Sere smiled slightly as she looked at the rose in one hand and sipped coffee from the cup in her other hand.

"Sere, where did you get that rose?" Tweak asked nervously. Sere put the coffee mug down on the counter and gazed intently at the flower within her hand. It looked like it was fresh, not even blooming yet, just a bud with exposed petals.

"Diana gave it to me. Faygo, we're going somewhere important. It's imperative you all trust me. Please," Sere asked in a quiet voice. She looked up and saw them all nodding one by one.

"We leave in an hour. No need to pack anything. We're going downtown, across the bridge," Sere told them.

_"Into Tweaker Town?"_ Liz asked, referring to West Sacramento's infamous reputation.

"No. Now eat up and everything. I'm going to go take a shower."

Whispers began to crowd the room as soon as she left, and Severnar, Tweak, and Daemonar began to feel crowded, especially when people kept asking them if they knew where Sere was taking them.

"Come on, Tweak, you have to know, you're the closest to Sere!" Matt whined. Tweak shook his head and walked from the room and into the living room. Grabbing the remote, he turned on the TV. and channel surfed, tuning all the whispers out.

Soon Severnar and Daemonar joined him, followed closely by the others. Tweak had to focus carefully to tune out their thoughts, forcing a wall of steel up around his mind. He knew instinctively that Daemonar and Severnar were doing the same. Titian stumbled out of her and Sere's shared bedroom blearily and grabbed a cup of coffee and mumbled an almost incoherent good morning to them all. She knew they were heading for Kaeleer today and was happy, considering she hated this new world and all it's technologies. She didn't get along very well with a toaster. Not at all.

There were still scorch marks on the wall.

* * *

Sere walked out and smiled as she saw all her friends sitting in the living room, most fidgeting anxiously.

"Let's go," She told them, grinning as almost everyone practically leapt for the door. They hurried for the Light rail station and waited for the bus, and Sere endured questions about their destination, but said nothing.

This lasted the entire ride to Old Sacramento. But everyone began to become subdued as they walked through the Historic Town and over the bridge. Confused, they followed Sere down the hill and under the bridge, where unfamiliar sleeping bags were rolled up and stuffed into the hollow parts of the support beams.

And Sere spoke.

"I want you all to follow Tweak. Please, this is not bad or evil or a dream or a trip. I can explain better on the other side," Sere explained.

And with the, she nodded to Tweak, who jumped between the supports of the bridge, disappearing into thin air.

Sere saw their frightened and confused expressions.

"What the fuck just happened?" Faygo demanded angrily. Sere sighed, having known this was a possibility. She put a shield of ebon thunder around them and floated herself and them through the gate, all of them yelling along the way. Severnar, Titian and Daemonar were not far behind.

And then they were at the Keep.

"Where the fuck are we?" Matt demanded to know.

"You are still on Earth, you're in a hidden place. This is the Keep. It is part of your land, only it's been veiled because it's a safe place, a strong place. Kaeleer has also been veiled from you all. It's a very long story, but it has to do with my mother and the Great War and the Cleansing of the Blood. Come inside with me and all will be explained," Sere told them as she released them from the energy bubble. Sam looked over his shoulder at Tweak, who was now sporting a necklace with a black jewel in it.

"Why are you so calm, and how did you know how to get in?" He asked the blonde suspiciously.

"I came here before. It was the time Sere left for a few days while I was supposedly in Chico. I've known about this since the night we met her, that's why I was so moody that day, I saw her in a dream," Tweak explained.

"You usually share your prophecies with us, why not this one?" Liz asked.

"I didn't know it was a prophecy. I thought it was wishful thinking. Then it came true, and all of you guys wanted so much to find a way to save ourselves and the people like us, but I don't think you would have believed it," He told her as they walked through the doors. Draca greeted them.

"I've prepared the smaller chamberssss for their birthright ceremoniesss," Draca hissed as she looked the group over. She eyed some and saw their disgust with her features and turned a disdainful eye to them and greeted Sere with a hug, and inclined her head to Tweak after he bowed his to her.

"The non jeweled ones have temporary rooms in the East Wing. You five know where your rooms are. Lorn will come to them tonight at sunset. You all might want to eat before you go downstairssss," Draca told them, then left.

"Well, she's not happy with some in this lot," Daemon said as he walked into the foyer of the Keep. Sere hugged him and turned to her friends.

"Everyone,this is my father, Daemon. Daddy, is grandpa here, and the rest of the family?"

"Yes, and the rest of your court. You might want to prepare them for the Arcerians," Daemon warned. Tweak almost laughed at the thought. Mother Night, they'd either faint or try to cuddle one!

But Sere didn't have a chance to warn her friends about the giant Kindred, because Kaeaskavi slammed into Tweak, not intending to knock him over, but doing so anyways.

"It's good to see you again too," Tweak said, wondering if his back had snapped and if he was paralyzed for life. He couldn't feel his legs.

_'Good to see the Queen's protector. Who others?'_ Kaeaskavi asked. Sere giggled.

"They're Dreamers," Sere told the giant cat as it leapt from Tweaks prone form and towards the group of unjeweled Blood. The groups reaction was a mix of terror and curiosity. The large animal hadn't tried to kill Sere or Tweak, so they shouldn't be afraid, right?

_'Not like tainted male,'_ Kaeaskavi said. Oddly, Matt was able to hear that one comment. And it triggered chaos.

"What tainted male, what does he mean by tainted?" Matt asked.

_'Pyro,'_ Kaeaskavi said dumbly, not knowing that the future court members had no clue about their dead friend.

"WHAT!" Matt bellowed. It brought several people running to the foyer.

"What happened to Pyro. He told us he was going out and we assumed he just ended up with some chick. Didn't know it was you," Matt spat out.

"He tried to rape her!" Daemonar bellowed.

"Pyro would never do that!" Darkstar protested. "He was my brother, and he would never hurt a girl!"

"Yes, he did. I was there," Tweak told them.

"I don't believe it!" Darkstar screamed. "Sere's just a lying whore, and you're a backstabbing asshole for talking about Pyro like that Tweak!" At this point she was almost crying as she screamed and pointed at Sere and Tweak.

"Believe it," Janelle's voice said throughout the room, and suddenly everyone was dropped into a black oblivion.

* * *

_"What are you doing here?"_

Everyone glanced at Pyro after they heard his voice. They were back under the bridge, and they saw Sere and Pyro. Pyro looked half wild and insane. They watched as he spoke about the toll, as he grabbed Sere roughly, as he manhandled her breast, as he choked her. Then they saw Tweak looking like a savage beast tackle Pyro and snarled at him.

And they heard Sere's tiny voice plead for Tweak not to hurt Pyro.

They saw the warring emotions in Tweak's eyes, they saw the rock Pyro was going to use to kill Tweak. And then they were back in the foyer of the Keep.

"What happened?" Matt asked.

"I showed you what happened. Pyro is Blood, and he had to pay the price for trying to rape my Daughter, and he tried to kill Tweak. For that, he paid the price," Jaenelle told them.

Darkstar was silently sobbing, and Sere's eyes were nothing but ice.

Tweak looked at the sobbing people around him. They were all getting the same feelings he had had when he had found out about Pyro's attempted rape.

"Get them to their rooms," Was all Sere said as she walked up the stairs. Tweak followed closely behind her.

Daemonar and Severnar sighed as they looked at the group of people in front of them. It was going to be a long few hours before they went into the ceremony chambers.

* * *

Blix: Review! Pleasepleasepleaseplease! 


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